The Uke Flu: Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi
by The Black Flamingo101
Summary: The SIH Nostalgia addition to Cerberus Revised's wonder hit "The Uke Flu." Even though Onodera and Takano have a baby on the way, can they put aside their past baggage in order to make a new future? Also featuring Yuu and Hisashi from the fic "Always." COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

In case you are wondering, yes this is M-preg.

I know, I know. M-Preg is sometimes regarded as the sewer of the fanfic world, but let me say that I have very much changed my mind about it. And it was all because of the stellar Cerberus Revised's glorious JR fic "The Uke Flu."

And even though I have read most of her stories, it remains to be my absolute favorite. And so when she asked me to write the Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi edition, I was thrilled.

I am proud to bring you the newest piece of the Uke Flu world, and I hope you all enjoy it :)

Thank you,

**The Black Flamingo 101**

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><p><em><strong>Prelude<strong>_

_**"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."- John Lennon  
><strong>_

_His first words were, "Oh dear God…" _

_And after that, all phrase was constricted by the sob that had risen unbidden from his chest, causing his whole body to jerk as tears rolled down his cheeks. _

_Onodera Ritsu crumbled to the floor of his kitchen, the test results from the clinic flapping down with him. _

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><p><em>The young brunette ran his fingers through the soft, straight nest of his chestnut hair, wiping the last of the tears from his cheeks. His sandpapery eyes glanced up at the clock, blinking more than usual as they read the digital face. <em>

_7:32_

_Onodera rested his cheek against his folded up knees, taking a deep, soothing breath. He had cried for nearly two hours, and every muscle in his body ached from the contracting strains of his sobs. But as utterly exhausted as he was, when his emerald eyes settled on the torn envelope and scattered papers, he felt like bawling all over again. _

_And, he had reason to. _

_Onodera Ritsu was pregnant. _

_His body quivering with hunger and fatigue, the willowy young man tipped over and lay on the cool linoleum that soothed some of the raw heat lingering on his face. He sipped in another deep breath, the air doing little to ease the torn, hollow feeling of his lungs and stomach. The brunette hadn't eaten since that morning, and even then it had been very little sustenance. But underneath the physical and emotional weight that pounded his mind, Onodera didn't have an ounce of motivation to obtain food or water. Instead, he lay on the unswept ground of his apartment, his body and mind not stirring as his heavy eyelids slid downward…_

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

_Onodera's eyelids shot open as the rapping rang like a gong against his eardrums. The brunette propped himself up on his elbows, his wide eyes staring at the front door in horror. And the quiet fog that had settled over his tired mind quickly turned into a lightning storm of panic. _

"_Onodera? Why weren't you at work today? Open up!" A gruff voice barked from out in the hallway. _

_One word surfaced in the inwardly screaming mind of the brunette editor. And with that one word, Onodera felt waves of nausea couple with the rising panic in his head. He bit down on his lip, curling his head and arms into his chest and staying as still as he possibly could. He barely breathed as he waited for further sounds of the presence, and his lip bruised from the sharp bite of his teeth that effectively housed any cries or sobs. _

_But it wasn't just a word. It was a name. _

_Takano._

"_Onodera? Onodera!…Ritsu! RITSU!"_


	2. Chapter 2

(Btw, if you haven't read the original "Uke Flu" by Cerberus Revised, you might want to read the first three chapters or so. This whole thing is a tad complicated.)

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Catch Me if You Can<strong>

"…Ritsu…Ritsu…" A quiet voice murmured. Stirring from foggy realm of sleep, Onodera's eyes fluttered, shards of dim light beginning to break the gray. Warmth seeped into his forehead, a soothing heat that gently encouraged him to wake.

Irises as green as the spring finally emerged, and the brunette turned his head, his sleepy eyes barely registering the face in front of him.

The very far edges of Takano's mouth curled as the hardly awake Onodera stared incoherently at him. The dark haired man removed his hand from Ritsu's forehead and slid it under the willowy torso, propping him up from the bed.

"What is it?" Onodera murmured, yawning wearily.

"Med time." Takano answered, reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing a prescription. After putting another pillow underneath the brunette's back to keep him up, Takano screwed the cap off the pill bottle and shook out three of the white capsules into the palm of his hand. He set the bottle down and replaced it with a glass of water.

"Alright, open up." The dark haired man ordered, his hand just a few inches from Onodera's mouth. The brunette's brow drooped irksomely.

"I can do it myself," He mumbled, but his throat was so dry he practically squeaked the words out.

Takano snorted.

"I'm sure. Now open up or we'll do what we did last time."

The weary brunette let out a growling groan to show exactly what he thought of that little idea.

"I mean it Onodera." The bigger man snarled back just as irritably.

The brunette sighed in frustration and finally tipped his head back, his lips parting widely. Takano gingerly dropped the pills into the open mouth and handed Ritsu the glass of water, watching closely to make sure he didn't spill.

The chestnut-haired head sank back onto the pillows after he swallowed, fatigue still weighing down his mind. Even still, his lips tightened.

"I keep telling you Takano-san…" He moaned. "I don't need you to baby me…I'm perfectly capable of—umph!"

Onodera's grumbles of dismay were cut off by a warm pair of lips pressing dominatingly against his own. Out of pure shock and the weight the other man had put on his chest (Takano was a heavy bastard), the brunette struggled, twisting his head to get out of the kiss. But the restless raven hair held him all the more tightly, crushing the smaller man with both weight and passion.

Onodera gulped a lungful of air when Takano finally let up, his body shivering when the bigger man stood.

"If you were capable of doing anything reasonable Ritsu, then the events of last month wouldn't have happened and you wouldn't be in this state."

Spring green eyes widened and lowered, but Onodera didn't make any reply to Takano's words. The raven hair stood back up and went over to his desk, grabbing a stack of papers before heading back to the living room of his apartment.

The chestnut hair sighed when he left, settling his achy body back into the bed. He rested his cheek against the cotton fabric of the pillow, the scent of Takano permeating in his nose. And even though the brunette had been more than reluctant to sleep in the man's bed, he couldn't help but be comforted by such a familiar scent. It was musky and intense at first, but once he inhaled, the scent became quite mild and gentle.

Onodera closed his eyes, but as more aches shot through his feeble body, his mind refused to rest, choosing instead to replay the events of last month.

And it had quite possibly been the worse of the young man's life.

With the outbreak of the virus MP3REG36, more commonly known as the "uke flu", Japan and the rest of the world had been in a state of panic, and (unless a person had literally been living under a rock for the past year) it was nearly impossible not to hear news of skyrocketing pregnancies and new attempts to create vaccines.

And as Marukawa was not a rock-dwelling publisher, the company was enacting new protocols to ensure that they wouldn't have their entire staff out on maternity (or paternity) leave.

As busy as his working life was, Onodera didn't even consider that the policies could apply to his situation. And even while he acted fairly normally while plenty of others panicked, he couldn't help but think about the spark of doubt that resided permanently in the back of his mind. But, obstinate as ever, he brushed them aside, choosing to focus on work.

And it had cost him dearly.

After nearly a month of being sick (he had written it off as a common cold. It was flu season after all (in more ways than one)), he had finally gone to the doctor, who saw his illness as something much more. The doctor had gently urged Onodera to get a pregnancy test done, and after much persuading (MUCH persuading), the brunette agreed.

But Onodera Ritsu had never expected in a million years for them to come out positive.

And when he saw the cold black ink of truth written on those forms, the weight of his situation crashed down on him like the Titanic, completely shattering every front and semblance of sanity he had. And to make things worse, the clear father of the unborn child pounded on his door mere hours after Onodera had found out.

The brunette's already demolished psyche had sunken to an even lower level. Reeling from shock, panic, and depression, Onodera had called and quit his job that very night. The more he thought about his future and what this pregnancy would do, the more he panicked. And the more he panicked, the more he realized how trapped he was.

What was worse, after being told Onodera quit the company, Takano was relentless in finding out why, almost breaking down the other man's door when he refused to answer. Onodera had fled yet again, holing up in a hotel for weeks and not answering calls from Takano, his family, or anyone. The brunette had spent his days sleeping, exhaustion coupling with his already instable mental state. And as preoccupied as he was with his situation, Onodera didn't even notice his health rapidly slipping. Suffering from terrible morning sickness, he couldn't eat a thing, but his manic mind barely registered his weakening body. He probably would have stayed in that hotel bed and slept for the next nine months, had a certain editor not been the most obstinate person on earth. Takano had gotten a hold of the brunette's childhood friend An, who had called Ritsu's parents, who had gotten into his bank accounts and looked up the credit card he'd used to check into the hotel. The group of cohorts probably would have completely surprised the brunette, had his mother not shown up first.

Thinking it was a maid, Ritsu had opened the door and was greeted by his unsmiling mother, who had immediately began yelling at him for his disgraced state. Onodera had all but slammed the door on her, causing her to retaliate and let slip that his boss was also on his way.

Feeling trapped and cornered yet again, the barely upright editor had decided there was only one thing left he could do.

Leave the country.

Onodera had packed his suitcase and made reservations to fly to France in a mere eight minutes and forty six seconds, and had left the hotel by taxi moments before Takano had arrived. However, the raven-haired man had spotted Onodera in said taxi and commenced a "follow that damn car!" sequence.

And when he finally reached the airport, Takano had immediately seen Onodera by the international flight sign and had all but tackled his subordinate. The tall man had yelled and screamed with a fury he had never unleashed, telling Onodera exactly what kind of superb moron he was in front of hundreds of people. And he would've kept yelling till kingdom come if Onodera had not broken down, began bawling, and fainted from exhaustion right on the floor. Takano had been stunned at how awful Ritsu looked, and when he hurriedly began checking him over, he felt the small but unmistakable bump in the brunette's stomach.

And he realized immediately what had happened.

Onodera had been rushed to the hospital, where he'd had an immediate blood transfusion. The weeks and weeks of stress and strain had rendered the brunette severely anemic and dehydrated, and in the middle of all of that, the baby had almost been lost.

Onodera had spent the next two weeks in the hospital, and with the help of medical care and crisis counseling, he slowly regained his reason. But the true turning point was when the doctor had told Ritsu how close he'd come to losing his baby. The realization that his carelessness and despair had almost taken an innocent life profoundly impacted the brunette. He quickly became determined to return home and start managing his own prenatal care.

But everyone else had different ideas. The condition the brunette had come to the hospital in had been severe, and the doctor was greatly reluctant to send such a fragile patient home. The brunette had fought the doctor's advise, and the man finally agreed to discharge him…IF he had a day and night caretaker.

And seeing as how Takano was the only one around with the time and energy, Onodera had had to make a rather unpleasant choice.

Onodera's green eyes flickered back open as he heard the whistle of a teakettle in Takano's kitchen. He sighed, his heavy mind growing even more weighted as the new dose of pills took effect.

Naturally, when the two made it back from the hospital, the brunette had tried to persuade Takano that he would be fine by himself.

And naturally, Takano immediately deduced that he was full of shit and all but carried Ritsu into his apartment. After chucking him on the bed, stripping him, and replacing his clothes with pajamas, the headstrong editor had ordered the brunette to stay in his apartment, sleep, and maintain his health for the duration of the pregnancy.

And when Onodera had protested, Takano had simply placed his hand on the brunette's enlarging belly and told him that now was not the time to be difficult or selfish.

Because there was more than one life on the line.

But even after the past month, and the week he had spent being cared for by Takano, the brunette still had one goal on his mind.

Get out and get away.

And even if the child growing in his stomach was Takano's, Onodera Ritsu didn't have the slightest intention of staying with him.

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><p>And by the way, for those of you who my fic "Always,"<p>

You might recognize the couple in the next chapter.

:)

Thank for reading! Be sure to drop a review! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

WOW! I am stunned by the amount of people who are already subscribing and reviewing!

You all are making this pregnant Flamingo so very very happy! ^_^

Just so you know, in addition to Takano and Onodera, this fic is also going to be featuring the couple from my fic "Always," Yuu and Hisashi, and also that this is technically the third part in their series. I had planned to start writing the original sequel in January, but my sweet seme Cerberus got me so excited that I took on this one instead. But the second part will be released when this is done and all you Yuuism practitioners can reread them in order or not read them in order to your hearts content.

If you have not read "Always," I recommend that you read that before this, or just skip the Yuu and Hisashi chapters of this story.

But hey, if you wanna read more pregnant gay men, who am I to stop you :)

**The Preggers Flamingo 101**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Picture Imperfect<strong>

"Onodera, I'm going to run over to your apartment for a minute. I'll be right back." Takano called into the room before heading out his front door. The tall, dark man sighed, glancing at the list of food items they were out of. He walked down the hall, trying to figure out when he could make a quick trip to the convenience store.

"Oh, Takano-san…" A soft voice called from the far end of the corridor. The editor glanced up.

"Araki-kun," Takano nodded politely.

The small, young man with a mop of natural blond curls retuned the greeting quietly.

"Good to see you Takano-san. I hope your work is going well."

"Thanks, I wish you the same." The editor replied. Takano's amber eyes peered a bit closer at Araki Hisashi, one of the shounen department's top manga assistants. As the shoujo and shounen departments didn't cross paths very often, it had been awhile since the two had seen each other. And Takano was a little taken aback at the assistant's appearance. While it was indeed normal for everyone working at Marukawa (particularly in the manga division) to look utterly miserable, the state of the young blonde took that to a whole other level. His hollow face was framed with sunken cheeks, and purplish bags under his eyes. He wore a short-sleeved shirt, revealing extremely pale, thin arms attached to skin and bone shoulders. In all honesty, the blonde looked like he was about to either throw up or faint, or maybe both at the same time. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Takano took out Onodera's key and went into his apartment, but he couldn't help but wonder at Araki's situation.

If anything, the assistant almost looked as bad as the pregnant Onodera.

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><p>Araki Hisashi wearily slid off his shoes after locking his apartment door, glancing around his messy hovel. The place was trashed (then again, it never really clean anyways…) but at the moment, the blonde had absolutely no motivation to do something about it. He began to walk to the kitchen, but nearly fell against his dinning room table as a rancid wave of nausea washed over him. He stumbled into a chair, gripping the wooden rim and trying to drive it away with deep breaths.<p>

A few minutes later, the blonde shakily looked up into the kitchen and wrinkled his nose, all desire for food tossed out the window. Instead, he walked carefully down the hall into the bedroom, flopping down onto his unmade bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, resting his cheek against the comforting fabric of his bed. He pressed his nose to the sheets, and could faintly smell traces of himself…and the one who'd slept with him not two days ago.

His eyes opened and his blue irises drifted over to the bookshelf next to his bed, where a clutter of picture frames sat on top. Hisashi reached for one near the front and looked closely at it, smiling fondly at the image of him and his late friend Hajime Atsushi together at the beach. He set the frame next to him on the bed, and then glanced up again, this time to a very recent picture.

Two smiling faces took up the majority of the image, one with curly hair and blue eyes, and the other a shaggy brunette with heated, crimson irises. The two young men had their cheeks pressed together, their arms wrapped in an affectionate hug.

Hisashi smiled again at the picture of him and his boyfriend of over a year, but at the same time, he could feel his lip start to quiver. A small trickle of salt water began to fill his eyes, and he blinked rapidly to keep it back.

The blonde set the picture down in front of him, emotion flooding his head as waves of uncertainty and worry began to crash against the shores of his mind. Still trying to hold back the tide, Hisashi reached into his blue striped hoodie pocket and took out his phone, hitting the first button on speed dial.

He pressed the cellular to his ear, the hollow ringing drilling harshly into his eardrums. The receiving line picked up momentarily, and Hisashi began to speak.  
>"Hey, it's me…Yeah, I—I got it done today…and well…we—we were right… Where? I'm back at my place…No, I'm fine. Really, I'm f—fine…No…I'm—I'm not…I'm not crying—" But no sooner had he spoken those words than a sob escaped his throat, causing pools of tears to leak out of his eyes. Hisashi swallowed and took a deep breath but just began to weep harder. The other voice called back to him, and Hisashi wiped his dripping eyes as he listened.<p>

"Okay…When will you be here?…No, I won't go anywhere…okay…I—I love you too… bye."

And once he had hung up, the dam of Hisashi's emotions broke and spilled out. The blonde took of picture of him and his lover and hugged it to his chest. The minutes dragged on as he waited, his violent sobs echoing in empty apartment.

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><p>Takano had just finished gathering a few articles from his invalid's apartment. He stepped back into the hallway, slipping the key in to lock the deadbolt. But he turned sharply when he heard a steady pounding coming from the other end of the corridor. Not a moment later, the door to the stairwell flew open and another young man raced into the hallway, flying past Takano and down the corridor at a dead run.<p>

The raven hair's amber eyes narrowed as he tried to pinpoint speed racer, but from the wild mop of brown hair, the interesting menagerie of necklaces, and the blazing garnet eyes, he could sure guess.

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><p>"Hisashi? HISASHI!" Yanase Yuu called as he ran into his boyfriend's apartment, barely stopping to pull off his shoes.<p>

"I'm here…" A choked up voice replied from the bedroom. Yuu flew past all the clutter in the living room and bounded down the hall, his socked feet nearly sliding on the slick wooden floors.

Yuu founded Hisashi sitting on the bed, his head bowed and tiny rivers streaking down his pale cheeks. Flooded blue eyes peaked up when the brunette entered, but they closed again as the blonde let out a wailing sob.

Yuu stared in shock at his lover, shock, concern, and sorrow welling up inside him as well. However, the brunette damned his own flow of emotions, knowing the drowning Hisashi desperately needed a rock to cling to. He sat down on the edge of the bed, taking his weeping lover into his strong arms.

"Shhh…" Yuu whispered soothingly. "Sashi, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay…"

The smaller blonde gripped the back of Yuu's jacket, tears staining the fabric as Hisashi buried his face in his boyfriend's chest.

"Yuu…" He coughed out. "What are we gonna do?"

"We'll figure it out. We're going to be fine…" The brunette replied.

Hisashi sobbed again.

"Yuu…things were going so well…why—why did this have to happen?"

Yuu's brow creased, but he hugged his lover all the more tightly.

"…I don't know Sashi…But no matter what, we have each other. And we're going to get through this. I promise."

The two young assistants sat in that room for hours, each one lost in their own minds. Yuu cradled Hisashi's curly head in his lap, gently stroking the soft nest. His crimson eyes drifted over to the pictures the blonde had left on the bed. Yuu breathed a sigh as he saw the image of the two of them, lost in bliss and happiness. A feeling so different from what they felt now, and that picture had only been taken a month ago, amidst the beautiful country landscape of Hisashi's home, Hokkaido. The two had just returned from a long trip to see Rurouri Renaka and to meet the blonde's parents, and it had been the biggest step they had taken in their relationship.

Yuu and Hisashi had been dating for over a year now, and even getting up to that point had been a challenge. (Heck, before they even started dating they plotted murder against each other.) But the two, especially Hisashi, had made big strides during the trip, going so far as to visit Atsushi's grave together. And Yuu, a strong solid rock, had lovingly seen the blonde through it all. They had taken that picture right before they left, a new image to capture the profound happiness they had felt.

But as soon as they'd come back to Tokyo, they had seen the city reduced to utter chaos with the new wave of the uke flu. Having been in a remote part of Hokkaido for weeks, the two had not caught a lot of national news, and were extremely shocked when they'd heard. But like many others, their lives became too hectic for them to take much action. Working for a stressed out (and psycho) mangaka, the two were utterly swamped in their jobs, barely having time to eat, sleep, or shower (though they both agreed the last was by far the worse).

And then a month later, Hisashi had fallen very ill, showing common flu and cold symptoms for weeks with no reprieve. They were both baffled by the sickness, but as their schedules freed up and they saw more updates on the epidemic, they slowly put the pieces together.

And today, the doctor had just confirmed what the two had guessed, but didn't want to believe.

Hisashi had caught the uke flu. He was pregnant.

And with the news, the picture perfect future the two had begun to see was shattered into tiny fragments.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello peeps. Sorry this chapter is a bit short, but both me and my seme Cerberus are down with colds, so we're a little off our game. (Fucking snow...)

Some people have complained that the Yuu and Hisashi couple is not cannon enough for this story.

And to those readers let me say one thing: Jesus Christ. I told you all ahead of time that if you didn't read my story "Always" or weren't interested in it, then you should **SKIP THOSE CHAPTERS**. I have included this couple to give a somewhat sequel to the Always fans and to give a bit more complexity to the story. But if you don't like it, **THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO FUCKING READ**. Each chapter will alternate between the two couples so that should be easy to figure out.

Sigh. But anyways, thank you to all who have reviews, favorited, subscribed and all that jazz. I really appreciate it and I hope you continue to enjoy the gay pregnantness.

Thanks again!

**TBF101**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Too Close Quarters<strong>

Takano's amber eyes glanced up as the door to his bedroom creaked open and a robed Onodera shuffled out, his green eyes glancing around the other man's apartment. Takano set aside a red inked storyboard, sighing as he pulled off his reading glasses.

"Did you need something?" The dark-haired man asked. Onodera shook his head.

"No. Thanks." He replied plainly, padding over to the window at the far end of the room. He peaked through the shut blinds, the daylight making him blink. Onodera looked passively at the outside streets of Tokyo, the world beyond the indoors seeming strangely foreign. Yet another week had passed under Takano's care, and the brunette hadn't so much as set foot in the hall. Although he was usually a content person, he felt extremely caged being ill, and what's more, staying in a certain person's apartment. He'd especially been feeling pent up since his most recent fever had cooled and the side effects from the medications had dulled.

In truth, Onodera felt the best today that he had in months. But even while his body was recovering, his mind was feeling increasingly cornered. Takano was around day and night (and night was especially awkward as they slept in the same bed), and the brunette barely had a chance to think when the dark haired man was so nearby. In fact, if he hadn't felt so antsy he would've stayed in the bedroom till the next round of meds.

Ritsu walked away from the window, having had his fill of the narrow view of the world. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, his eyes and hands finding nothing with which to distract himself.

His verdant eyes wandered aimlessly for a few moments before resting on the stack of papers on Takano's coffee table. The head editor's cell phone and fax machine were working almost nonstop since Takano had started working from home. And his living room with it's drafts and documents certainly resembled their office, though much less pink.

"…What are you working on?" Onodera asked quietly.

Amber eyes peered up.

"Mutou-sensei's newest storyboard."

At the mention of one of his old authors, Ritsu's face perked up.

"How…is she doing?" He asked quietly. "Who's her editor now?"

"Hatori is." Takano replied. "They seem to get along nicely."

"…I see." The brunette murmured back. Ritsu continued to stare as Takano resumed working, his red pen marking the crisp, white pages. Onodera was a little surprised that the abrasive editor didn't continue their conversation with a harsh comment about how Ritsu had quit so abruptly and left them with a ton of work. The brunette was a bit suspicious, especially considering how much of a hard ass Takano was regarding the magazine. No matter his accomplishments, Takano had never given the brunette a break, so why was he holding back now?

But Ritsu's eyes saw the half finished storyboard and his unused mind was craving any sort of stimulating distraction. Onodera timidly sat on the other side of the couch (as far away from Takano as possible), looking hungrily at his former mangaka's work.

"…Do you…need any help?" He muttered, not looking at the editor.

Takano looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you up for that?"

Onodera nodded.

"I need something to do."

Takano shrugged and handed the brunette a stack of papers.

"Here, you go over Ichinose Erika's storyboard and I'll finished Mutou's. You can double check it when I'm done."

Onodera nodded again and began looking through the rough sketches, the wheels of his mind turning for the first time in months. The brunette took out a pen and began to make notes on the paper. Takano's amber eyes slid over from his own work and over to Onodera, who was now thoroughly engaged in the storyboard. The raven-haired editor looked with an impassive face, but in his thoughts he couldn't deny just how much brighter Ritsu looked as he worked. And having seen how lifeless the brunette had been the past month, he felt warmth in his heart as he saw light in those deep green eyes.

But it was hard to say whether or not it would last.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, the two men had made substantial progress on Takano's mountain of work, which had the head editor very relieved. The raven-haired man sent the last of his faxes back to the office, mutteringbarking/yelling at someone over the phone who apparently was comparable to an illiterate turtle with leukemia and AIDS. After a minute or so of his verbal Holocaust, Takano set (slammed) the phone down and ran a hand through his mussy hair.

"Jesus Christ," the editor growled. Onodera glanced at him briefly.

"What was that all about?" The brunette asked, slowly circling a palm around the bulge in his stomach. He'd started doing this a few weeks ago, and Takano couldn't help but notice that it's frequency was increasing with time.

"Oh nothing more than usual," The raven-hair replied (though that was easily an understatement). "Kisa and Hatori keep forgetting their deadlines. They've been really fucking distracted lately and it's starting to cause a drag. They need to get their act together."

Onodera resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing full well that the standards Takano considered normal sometimes bordered on psychological fallacy.

"Are you done with that manuscript?" The head-editor asked, pointing at the document in front of the brunette. Onodera nodded.

"It looks okay for the most part, just a bit of timing issues. Nothing too big."

Takano nodded in agreement, turning back to send another fax.

"I felt the same."

The brunette closed his eyes for a moment, a fog of sleepiness beginning to descend on his mind. After dinner he would probably just go to bed, he was tired enough, even from just a bit of deskwork.

"You know…" Takano murmured after a few minutes of silence. "Some of your authors ask about you."

Ritsu's eyes flickered open in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes, Mutou-sensei and the others. If was a little difficult to get some of them to switch editors. A few of them were quite attached to you."

At the man's sudden disclosure of this information, Onodera's cheeks flushed. But inside, he felt a sense of pride and loss that his authors would vouch for him like that, especially considering he'd only been in the manga field a short time.

"Are you hungry?"

"Mmm…what?" Ritsu glanced up confusedly.

"I said, 'are you hungry?' Do you want food?" Takano repeated, eyeing the brunette.

"Uh sure. I think I could stomach a little." Onodera mumbled, staring at his lap. Takano's gaze slightly narrowed and he walked over behind the couch, setting a large, warm hand on the brunette head.

Onodera tensed as he felt Takano's touch and quickly squirmed away, getting up and heading for the bathroom.

Static amber eyes watched him go, but despite the lack of emotion, their gaze was hard.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it took awhile for me to get this out but I've been busy with class and job. Not to mention I started watching Dragon Ball Z and you fans know how that is. You watch one ep you have to watch the next twenty. *head/ desk *

And this chapter is (as always) dedicated to my sweet seme Cerberus Revised and the magnificent Don't Preach, who have promised me many yummy things if I updated the pregger boys ;D

**Hooray for bribery,**

**TBF101**

P.s. Review Replies next chapter I promise! Thanks for reading and reviewing! ^_^

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Off the Rocker<strong>

A weary Yuu yawned as he twisted the doorknob of his front door. The manga assistant looked inside his dark house as he slipped off his shoes, letting his bag drop off his shoulder.

"Sashi?" He called into his living room, turning on the hallway light. A quiet murmur came in reply, and Yuu could vaguely make out a bundled lump on the couch. Yuu switched on another light and Hisashi's messy curly head lifted up.

In spite of his low energy, the shaggy brunette make an effort to smile, because it was very apparent that Hisashi felt just as bad as he did.

"What time is it?" The blonde mumbled, purplish bags framing his gray-blue eyes.

"Almost seven." Yuu replied, stroking a few fair curls back from his boyfriend's forehead.

Hisashi grimaced.

"Oh shit…I was going to try to clean up around here today but I fell asleep…"

"Don't worry about it," Yuu replied quickly when the blonde hung his head. "It's not that bad."

The brunette made light of the condition of his house (which was comparable to a hoarder's), but even still, both of them could tell he was lying. Even still, they were both much too tired to address the subject further.

Yuu didn't bother switching on more lights as he made his way to the kitchen, not wanting to illuminate the latest piles of junk. He padded along the tiled floor and opened his fridge, his brow lowering as he glanced inside.

"Sashi, did you eat anything today?"

The blonde wandered into the kitchen after him, rubbing at his sleepy eyes.

"No. I didn't feel like it."

Yuu sighed in disbelief.

"Sashi. You NEED to eat. You're losing too much weight and the doctor said you had to try to get at least twenty five hundred calories a day!"

"I know I know," Hisashi mumbled back, his face contorting in nausea. "But everything just sounds really gross. I can't even think about food."

Yuu sighed again at the sick look on his boyfriend's face. He blinked a couple of times, trying to shake off his own fatigue as he started to pull a few items out of the cupboards.

"Let me make you some miso broth. Something hot might help settle your stomach."

Yuu grabbed a pot from below the stove and moved towards the sink to fill it up. But he stopped when he felt a pair of arms circle around his waist. Hisashi squeezed Yuu's lean chest tightly, resting his head against his boyfriend's back.

"Yuu, you should go to bed. You got up at five this morning. And you've worked ten hour shifts for the past five days."

Yuu placed a warm hand on top of Hisashi's.

"I'm okay Sashi. I need to make food for tomorrow anyways."

"When's your next day off?" The blonde asked.

The brunette yawned.

"Saturday."

Hisashi's eyes widened.

"Can't they give you a break sooner? You've been pulling so many extra hours."

Yuu shook his head.

"They can't. We're near the monthly deadline and with you sick we're still behind. Plus Ijuuin's really fallen off his rocker this time. Kirishima was nearly at his wit's end today trying to get sensei to work."

The hands that rested on Yuu's chest curled and shakily gripped the brunette's sweatshirt. Hisashi hugged the taller man tighter, trying to swallow back the lump in his throat.

"I…I'm so sorry Yuu," He quietly whimpered. "If I could go in you wouldn't have to push yourself like this. I hate seeing you so tired—" The blonde stopped when his voice cracked, and his hurriedly sucked in a breath to regain control of his words.

The brunette turned around, his garnet eyes loving but serious. A warm hand reached out and gently touched the slight bump that had begun to protrude on the blonde's stomach.

"Hisashi, listen to me. I don't want you to worry about anything but yourself right now. This baby is ours, and we have to do everything we can to make sure it comes out healthy and happy. And that means I have to pull extra hours, I'll do it.

"But Sashi, please…you have to do everything you can too. And that means eating and resting and taking care of yourself. Please…do it for the baby, and for me."

The blonde's blue doe eyes widened, then lowered down to the floor.

"…I'll…I'll try Yuu."

The brunette nodded, pivoting back to the stove and beginning to prepare food for the two—er three. Even though Yuu called himself a mediocre cook at best, aromatic scents soon filled the kitchen, and his blonde uke found himself a little hungry for the first time that day.

The couple retreated back to the living room to eat and relax, turning on the TV for a bit of mindless entertainment.

Yuu breathed a sigh of relief as he sank into the folds of the couch, his body and mind (and most of all his right hand) completely spent. The brunette's garnet eyes stared at the flickering screen, rest finally within his reach, at least, for the time being.

The couple officially found out Hisashi had caught the uke flu two months ago, and the news had turned their lives upside down, right side up again, back upside down and shaken like a maraca at a Mexican fiesta. The two manga assistants had tried to continue with their jobs normally, but Hisashi soon found that impossible. The blonde had been sick to his stomach from day one, and his normally birdlike appetite had dwindled down to nil. The doctor had urged the uke to eat and drink as much as possible, but the already underweight Hisashi was struggling. In addition to feeling sick, intense fatigue had also taken a hold, leaving the pregnant uke fucking tired no matter the amount of sleep.

This was a huge problem, as Hisashi was a figure specialist and nearly irreplaceable to the bipolar mangaka Ijuuin Kyo. The gap the blonde left at the office was immense, and the other assistants were trying to make up for it. But even still, it was hell week, and their progress was slipping rapidly. Yuu had done his best to cover for the blonde (whom he'd said had caught a bout of pneumonia), and was clocking in at nearly sixty hours a week, both for the office, and for their bills.

But their efforts weren't enough.

Two months of this strain had severely worn down the two young men, in a greater amount than they wanted to admit. Yuu was exhausted and over worked, but even more, he was worried. Even after weeks and weeks of R and R, Hisashi's health was not improving. In fact, it was getting worse. Rather than gaining weight, the blonde was losing it, and as a result was growing weaker by the day.

Yuu's eyes slid over to the uke, who was staring at the tube with baggy eyes. Even in the dim light of the room, Yuu could see the hollow planes of his boyfriend's face, growing more prominent as Hisashi grew sicker.

What was worse, Yuu had no idea what kind of state the blonde's mind was in. Upon hearing news of his spontaneous knocking up, Hisashi had characteristically broken down into a state of depression. Over the next couple weeks, Yuu had thought the blonde had shaken himself out of it, but he had no way of knowing for sure. He wasn't around during the day to check up on Hisashi, and knowing how emotionally fragile his boyfriend could be, it concerned him greatly.

Though then again, everything concerned him greatly. Hisashi's health, the unborn baby, and what the company would do when they found out…

Yuu could see the problems clear as crystal.

But the solution, if there even was one, was as a shadowed and black as a sunless sky.

"Mmmm…"

Yuu was shaken out of his train of worries as he felt a pair of lips brush against his neck. Hisashi scooted closer to his older boyfriend, opening his mouth and nibbling on the brunette's ear. Yuu turned his head and took the pale face between his hands, locking lips with the blonde and kissing him deeply. Hisashi hummed again and crawled over to straddle Yuu's lap, weaving his fingers roughly through the shaggy brown hair.

Yuu kept kissing the uke, snaking his hands around and squeezing the blonde's trim waist. The older man could feel his boyfriend's prominent hard on through his jeans, and knew it would probably be awhile before either of them got any rest. Yes, the doctor had told them increased libido would be a symptom, but Yuu's insightful mind wondered all the same. Hisashi's mind and mood was flickering back and forth like their television, and Yuu knew that that kind of precariousness could lead Hisashi right to his breaking point.

But like everything else…there was no immediate solution.

* * *

><p>Next chap is back to nostalgia and it's lemony :)<p>

Banzai.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello Hello fandom.

More than a few of you might be finding this fic a little depressing.

And yeah, that's the point. LOL. If you take a look at the categories this story is under, it reads angst and hurt/comfort.

So yeah, sorry there's not a whole lot of fluff in this bitch :) and *spoiler * it's really not gonna get any better.

But hey, I can say with assurance that this is not THAT depressing. You wanna read depressing? Read Cerberus Revised's story "Days without sun." Read that and this will seem LOADS better. No one's getting mauled by dogs or getting their head shaved...oops. Sorry Cerb. I gave out spoilers :3

*cough * but enough of me ranting about pointless things...ooo look. A squirrel...

Enjoy the lemon. Drop a review. I love you all!

**Hooray for Angst,**

**TBF101**

**Chapter Five: All and Nothing**

"Nuh…nugh…n—no…stop…"

"Onodera…" Takano grunted, spreading the length of his tongue along the brunette's neck. Ritsu shut his eyes as he felt Takano's hot mouth breathing so close to his face, and he cried out as his hips bucked under the man's touch.

The raven head began to move back down to his lower body, and the shivering brunette bit his lip, trying to suppress his moans as Takano's mouth enveloped his cock. The hot cavern sucked and stroked at his erect member, easing him closer and closer to release. Large, heated hands snaked around Ritsu's narrow hips, holding them in place as supple digits smoothed along his pale skin.

The brunette's body shook again as electric currents shot up his spine. Onodera turned his head away from the seme, resting his blood flushed cheek against the cool of the pillow as he waited yet again to regain control of his body. And as for his mind, he wanted nothing more than to erase all memories of this night in totality.

Around one o'clock that morning (nearly two hours ago), Onodera had been roused from his sleep by something rather unpleasant…but not unexpected considering he was both pregnant AND a male. With an aching head (and cock), Onodera had begrudgingly remembered that libido was one of the symptoms of his uke pregnancy, and in his normal embarrassed fashion, the brunette had retreated to the bathroom to take care of it.

But after three rounds of the self-serve, the tired Ritsu just couldn't manage to get his kickstand back down, and had grown even more frustrated and embarrassed as a result.

To make things worse (for him at least), Takano's seme senses had woken him up and led him right to the lighted bathroom where the brunette was. Onodera had been at his wit's end at that point, his face flushed crimson and his hand fucking hurting from all the "activity." And when Takano opened the door and caught him in his vulnerable state, the hysterical brunette had screamed to high heaven.

But to Ritsu's eternal shame, Takano hadn't barked some snarky comment, but forcibly scooped him up and took them both back to the bedroom.

As of now, Takano had sucked him off twice and to no result. Even after he came over and over, the brunette's cock absolutely refused to see reason. They were on their third go now, and Onodera was just about ready to scream again.

The brunette let out a train of moans as the raven-haired head bobbed between his legs, gruff, light noises coming from Takano as he sucked. Onodera took in another breath as he felt his lower body coil like a spring, and within a few seconds, Takano's mouth was filled with his seed.

The brunette let out a grateful sob and let his head drop back onto the bed. He shut his eyes, hoping and praying that it was all over so he could go back to sleep…

But, his green eyes emerged again as the heat in his lower body didn't cool. He felt himself become involuntarily aroused yet again, and his pent up emotions began to spill out.

"Goddamn it!" Onodera cried out, gritting his teeth as hot tears began to flow down his cheeks. He let out a wailing sob, covering his hands with his face as his overly warm body jerked with his sobs.

Takano's amber eyes looked down at reduced state of the brunette, and he reached down a large hand to cup Ritsu's jaw.

"Onodera…" He murmured. "Are you alright?"

"NO YOU IDIOT!" The uke lashed out, roughly gripping some of his disheveled hair. "I'M NOT ALRIGHT! I'm tired and I'm frustrated and it won't fucking go back down! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!"

Onodera began to sob again with gusto, his body and face burning up with uncomfortable heat. Takano let out a sigh.

"Alright then, looks like we have no choice."

Two large hands gripped the brunette's hip bones and started pulling them closer to Takano's body. Onodera's eyes widened in horror.

"NO!" He barked out, struggling to push Takano's limbs away. But the impassive raven hair deftly caught the pale hands and stretched them above the uke's head.

The tear-eyed brunette's entire body shook as Takano looked him straight in the face.

"Look, I didn't wanna jostle you too much either because of your condition, but this is the only thing we haven't tried and it's our best chance of getting any sleep tonight."

Onodera clenched his jaw tighter at the man's words, but his mind was flip-flopping between his blazing anger and his overwhelming desperation. And in the end, it was the latter that won out.

The brunette shut his eyes and turned his head away, but relaxed his body, ashamedly complying with the seme's suggestion.

Takano leaned down and pressed his lips to the underside of Ritsu's jaw, while his hand reached over to the drawer of his nightstand and hunted out a bottle of lube. The seme sat back up to straddle Onodera, spreading the uke's legs and coating his fingers with the clear liquid. The two (obviously) hadn't fucked during the three months of Onodera's pregnancy, and Takano knew that he needed to prepare the uke slowly and properly. The tall smoker had a rather obnoxious tendency to jump the gun when they fucked, half the time not even bothering to finger his partner. But this time, the seme was entirely aware of Onodera's physical and mental state, and now was not the time to cut corners.

A small cry slid out of Ritsu's mouth as a single finger entered him, gently sliding in and out. The seme took his time before adding a second, listening carefully to the uke's moans and breaths.

"Does it hurt at all?" Takano breathed, reaching his other hand down to stroke his own hard on.

"…No." Onodera grunted back, his face still turned away. "…hurry up."

The raven-haired man resisted the urge to chuckle at the way the uke was jumping the gun, or trying to at least. When he was completely assured that Onodera was ready, he withdrew his fingers. Takano slid out of his boxers and lubed his cock, then put them both into position, pulling the uke's hips up over his bent knees. The two had used this angle frequently, as it wasn't too rough for Onodera and pleasing for the seme.

Takano held Ritsu's hips with one hand, the other taking the end of Ritsu's white t-shirt and pushing it up. He spread his fingertips over the uke's pink nipples and lightly squeezed, evoking a light groan from the brunette.

"Onodera…" He breathed.

The uke didn't look at him, tightly shutting his eyes and shaking in anticipation. Takano slowly took the head of his prick and eased it into Ritsu's entrance with all the care he could muster. Even still, he had difficulty holding himself back as he slid further into the wet heat. It had been long, too long, since they'd been joined, and Takano's mind and body felt complete as he buried himself in the chestnut brunette.

Once they had both adjusted, Takano began to slowly draw out and thrust back in, the sliding friction setting off bells in his head. He kept increasing the pace, evoking light gasps from the uke as he rubbed against his prostate.

But through it all, Onodera kept his face turned and his eyes shut, even while Takano breathed his name over and over.

Takano kept his amber eyes fixed on his partner's face as he dove deeper. Even through his own pleasure, he looked soberly at the father of his new child, and saw the rawness of Onodera's emotions and words.

And even though they were connected, Takano felt like the brunette was so far away, almost invisible in the distance even while they were face to face.

While Takano possessed Ritsu's body, in both their sex and the unborn baby that connected their DNA, Takano was not able to truly claim the man's heart. Even after so long.

And it killed him to wonder precisely when he would.

"Ahhh…haahhh…haahhh…"

Onodera's lips let out steady, gasping breaths as Takano rocked into him. He opened his mouth, his chin tilting towards the ceiling as a soothing numbness seeped into his head. He had to admit, while this night had likely been the worst of his pregnancy, the intense pleasure was almost worth it. He hadn't been fucked in months, and that hard cock pushing it's way deep inside him made him moan in delight. He even began to notice that the aching in his lower back dissolved as the natural painkiller took hold.

Yes, the pleasure was good. It was satisfying.

It was the one who gave him such pleasure that was the problem.

Ritsu's green eyes stayed shielded even as Takano embraced him, trailing kisses and nips down his chest and nuzzling the enlarging bump in his abdomen. Even while the raven haired man gave him incredible physical highs, in his heart, Ritsu did not have an ounce adoration for him. Yes, the pleasure was good.

But as far as the brunette was concerned, the body and the heart were two separate things, and even though Takano possessed one, he would never have the other.

He was nothing. Just a fuck. A sex friend.

Nothing more.

Because deep within his heart, Onodera hated the man who claimed to love him.

**Review replies from all chapters!**

**PizzahutgirlXD- that's the beauty of fanfiction my dear. I could write that Ritsu was pregnant and shaved his hair into a mohawk and people would believe it. Anything is possible ;)**

**Miyuki Meiru- Thank you so much for the review ^_^ and I am ecstatic to learn that I am the Neil Armstrong of SIH MPREG. (And is "comfortable around Takano" supposed have a duel meaning? Because he seems plenty comfortable now XD)**

**Teddybear216- I felt the exact same way about MPREG when I first started writing fics. But then I read Cerberus' original Uke Flu and I fell in love :) I believe any genre can be enjoyable as long as it connects with the reader, and hopefullly this mpreg does the same.**

**atrima- I'm glad you feel the characters are IC and that you are enjoying the nostalgia chapters! Thanks so much for the feedbackers :) :) :)**

**Puppyfacetwo- thanks for all the unfailing reviews! ^_^ you are wonderful. And yes, things will get better for them...eventually...but for now we have angsty lemons XD**

**VDayBear-thanks for the review! :D**

**fierysuzaku- Yes, the Chiaki controversy will be included. Me and Cerb are working on plenty of surprises and ideas for you guys ;)**

**An- the reason there seems like there's a bit more emphasis on the Yuu couple is because I have to provide more background for them. Whereas the nostalgia pairing have established pasts and personalities. But I'm trying to write both couples equally. Thanks for the feedback!**

**LoserSquad- hope you enjoy Always and this :) :) :) thanks a bunch!**

**silverknightam- :) I hope you enjoyed reading Always! And I too love Maiden Rose. Klaus can attack my village on the motorbike any time XD And I think I got that profile pic just from google searching Taki and Klaus. Lol...but it's not there anymore cause I change my avatar like every three days XD Thanks for the reviews! Youre the best!**

**BooBooBitxxxch666- Glad you're enjoying the preg fic and the angst. Great to see you here! ^_^ Thanks!**

**Morlana- I glossed over that big spiel in chapter one because first...I realllly didn't wanna write that in depth. There's a limit to the angst I can take XD But do not fret, Takano's feelings and all those little details will be revealed in time. I usually write my story like a puzzle, putting pieces in each chapter to create a full picture. And I never reveal everything at once so stayed tuned ;) Thanks for the feedback!**

**ALOVETOKILL- Okay. Here. :)**

**Younikon- thanks for the review! :D hope you enjoy! ^_^**

**LxLight4eva- Thank you for the review :) I know mpreg isn't everyone's cup of coffee and I really appreciate you reading. But the story will focus a lot on the couple's relationships too so you should have a good amount to read :)**

**Egoistfangirl- sigh. I'm sorry my awesome friend, but even your lovely bribes cannot overpower the angst I have ready for this fic. lol. But remember, even through the suffering there will be hope and eventual happiness...**

**and plenty of smut along the way XDDDDD! baahaahah! **

**And lastly (but not leastly),**

**Cerberus Seme- I updated. I love you :3 kittens please. I'll even purr for you. **

**XDDDD**

**And thanks to all of you who have subscribed, favorited, etc etc etc! :D You all are awesome!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six: Catch Me When I Fall**

"That's it for the deadline everyone. Thank you for your work!" One of the shounen editors called into the workroom.

_Smack. _

And immediately following those blessed words, Yanase Yuu's forehead collided with the table as he slumped with exhaustion.

The other three assistants (all of whom were girls with fast acting mothering instincts) quickly gathered around him, and found to their shock, that the brunette male had passed out.

Some time later, Yuu awoke, and found himself laying on a couch in one of the break rooms. He blinked his tired eyes a few times, slowly propping himself up onto his elbows as he tried to remember where we was and what he'd been doing.

"Hell of a hell week huh?" A warm voice rumbled. Yuu looked over to his side, and his eyebrow lifted in surprise as he saw the editor of _Japun _sitting dutifully in a chair.

Kirishima Zen gave him a slight smile as Yuu blinked in confusion.

"Kirishima-san?"

The editor chuckled.

"Nope, it's God."

Yuu blinked again and Kirishima smiled wider.

"And God has a message for you. He says you're committing the sin of not getting adequate sleep and then fainting at work. However, because said fainting came after the deadline, he is willing to pardon you."

Even with his groggy head, Yuu managed an amused snort.

"Are you sure you're God? Because you sound an awful lot like Ijuuin."

The golden-haired editor barked a laugh.

"Quick even when you're half-dead Yanase. As always."

Yuu slowly swung his legs over the side of the couch and pulled himself up, the vertigo making him a little shaky. He leaned against the back of the couch, taking a few gulps of air.

Kirishima watched soberly.

"Let's cut to the cheese Yanase. What happened in there?"

Yuu's reddish eyes drifted down to his lap, and his face remained impassive.

"I just haven't taken that great of care of myself this past week. It won't happen again."

Kirishima didn't respond to the assistant's words.

"Is that all?" The editor mused, his eyes drifting over to a window at the far corner of the room. Yuu was about to respond again when Kirishima cut in first.

"How is Araki-kun doing?"

The brunette immediately bit back his words, swallowing them down like a lump of iron.

"He's…recovering…but, very slowly."

"I see. Pneumonia was it?"

Yuu nodded.

"Yeah…"

"I take it you see him a lot then?" Kirishima asked, his eyes not leaving the window.

The brunette cleared his throat.

"Umm yeah…we're—we're good friends."

The golden-haired editor's passive eyes slid back over and caught Yuu's, the playful glint replaced by seriousness.

"Yes. I've noticed."

Ever reading between the lines, the manga assistant caught the duel meaning of his superior's words. And he was too tired to even think about covering up his shock. Yuu sat there, his mouth partially open and his eyes wide and stunned.

But even though he was sober, there was no malice in the editor's words.

"And Yanase," He continued. "Friends are a wonderful gift given from heaven. They are precious, and when one has friends who are struggling, it is their duty to take responsibility and see that friend through. But a part of that…is also seeing himself through, and making sure he is well enough to carry his friend when he falls. Because your friends are your family."

The taller man's eyes fell, and he smiled almost sadly.

"Believe me…I know that more than anyone."

Yuu's mouth fell lower at the sincerity of editor's words.

"Kirishima-san…" He mumbled, a reply failing him.

But the golden man just smiled and stood, offering a hand and smiling with radiance. Yuu took it gratefully, and the taller man hauled him up onto his own feet. The editor-in-chief gave him one last smile, turning to leave.

"And Yanase, if you three need anything, you let me know or I'll fire your ass. Got it?"

For the first time in weeks, Yuu's mouth spread in a grin and he laughed, a spark of joy kindling inside his weary mind.

After making sure he had his bearings, Yuu left Marukawa and took the subway home, his mind replaying Kirishima's words like a looping song. He had to admit, he was stunned by the implications the head editor had just addressed, not just about the two assistants, but about himself as well. And Yuu's insightful eyes detected that there was a whole other story behind that man's wily eyes.

But even through his initial shock, a warm, comforting feeling had descended on Yuu's mind and heavy chest.

In spite of what he'd told Kirishima, things were not getting better. They were only worsening and in countless ways. But over the past couple weeks, and especially today, Yuu had had an epiphany.

He couldn't do this.

Not by himself.

Like any driven man, Yuu had gone the route of pushing and straining his hardest against the leaning tower of their lives, holding on by the skin of his skin till the last drop of blood. And as a result of that, he'd fainted at work today in front of everyone. But slowly, Yuu had begun to realize that it would take more than one person to hold up that falling tower. And he had to concede his illusion of control, both for himself, and for Hisashi.

And today, someone had come forward and offered a helpful push.

The brunette walked down the hallway to Hisashi's apartment, where the couple would be meeting that day. But although he still felt tired (DEAD tired), he also felt something that had not been able to surface in a long time.

Hope.

And yet another time that day, Yuu's lips curled into a smile of gratitude and he eagerly put his key in the door, walking into his boyfriend's apartment.

"Sashi." He called, slipping off his shoes and lining them neatly in front of the door. "I'm back from work."

When no reply came, Yuu cocked his head, padding into the living room.

"Sashi?" He spoke much more quietly, thinking the blonde was asleep. He turned down the hall and glanced into the bedroom, but no people shaped lumps graced the mattress.

Yuu's brow started to furrow in confusion. And his ears and eyes lifted as he made out a faint rasping come from the other direction. He pivoted back around and headed to the other side of the living room, where the kitchen was.

"Hisashi?" He called once more. He finally entered the tiled room and his eyes caught the blonde sitting on the floor, his back towards the brunette.

"There you are." Yuu smiled. "You had me worried for a…sec…" The brunette's voice trailed off as the blonde didn't turn around or respond. Yuu peered closer and could faintly make out a trembling in the small frame, and the labored breathing that was practically being choked out. Yuu stepped forward, slowly placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Hisashi are you ok—OH MY GOD!"

Yuu's scream of horror sliced through the silence of the apartment as his red eyes saw an equally crimson liquid dripping and pooling on the white tiled floor. The brunette grabbed the blonde's shoulder and jerked him around, and his face grew even more horrified.

Hisashi's thin, hollow face had drained down to the color of chalk, and his features combined into a mask of terror. His blue eyes were wide and dripping with tears, and yet their gaze was clouded, as if the blonde saw nothing at all. His ghastly white hands lay on his lap, his fingers stretched up and stained with blood that ran down and soaked into his jeans.

And just next to his knees, in the midst of red…lay a knife.

Yuu snatched Hisashi's wrists, jerking the blonde harshly towards him.

"HISASHI! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Yuu screamed, his eyes wide with terror. Hisashi's teeth gritted and more tears quickly filled his eyes.

"Yuu…I can't do this…"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? OH MY GOD—" Yuu nearly retched as his fingers slipped on the blonde's left wrist and more blood dripped onto the floor. The brunette eyes darted over to the white arm and he cried out as he saw a wide, deep slash between the hand and the wrist.

"HISASHI!" Yuu shrieked, his own hands beginning to shake.

The blonde sobbed out, his tears splattering into the puddle of blood.

"I can't…I can't do this…I—I CAN'T—I CAN'T DO THIS!" The blonde screamed at the top of his lungs before tumbling backwards. Yuu's arms franticly caught the small blonde and clutched him to his chest. Hisashi's head began to sway and his eyelids shut as he went limp and fell unconscious.

"HISASHI! HOLD ON! PLEASE HOLD ON!"

The brunette snatched a nearby dishtowel with his bloody hands, wrapping it around the blonde's cut wrist and pressing down on it. His other hand dove in his pocket for his phone and he all but screamed when the emergency operator answered.

"I NEED AN AMBULANCE! PLEASE GET ME AN AMBULANCE! HISASHI HOLD ON! HOLD OOOOONNNNNNNNN!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Seven: Splinter, Crack, Break**

Ritsu's bright green eyes glanced up as he heard Takano's front door shut, followed by the quiet footsteps of the editor as he reentered his apartment.

"Was that an ambulance?" The brunette asked, his gaze drifting towards the window where he could still faintly hear sirens. The taller man had hear the commotion too and had gone downstairs to investigate.

Takano nodded soberly.

"Yeah. They just hauled away Araki-kun."

Onodera gawked.

"You mean Ijuuin's assistant who lives next door? Did you hear what was wrong?"

Takano shook his head.

"No, but I saw a hell of a lot of blood."

The chestnut haired man grimaced at the word, swallowing a bad taste in his mouth as he tried not to think too much about it.

Takano plopped on the couch next to Onodera, picking up his neglected manuscript. The brunette quickly went back to the book he'd been reading, trying to ignore the furious grunts the head editor made while he read through the author's work. Not five minutes later, Takano slammed the stack of papers back onto the coffee table, his jaw clenched in fiery rage.

"How dare that Hatori feed me this crap." He growled in a low tone. "Between him and Kisa that makes three rewrites just this week! I am THIS CLOSE to firing their asses right this minute!"

Onodera's brow furrowed at the man's anger.

"Why don't you give them a break for once?" He muttered. "Your yelling is probably just stressing them out even more."

Takano turned his stern eyes to the brunette, who was still trying to look like he was vigorously caught up in prose but failing miserably. But although his glare lights were turned on, the editor turned back to his stack of papers, silently fuming rather than blowing up at the comment.

Onodera noticed this, and his eyes narrowed slyly as he thought of something.

"You know…" He spoke slowly, not looking at the other man. "They would probably know what you wanted better if you were there."

"I realize that," Takano replied simply. "But it's not possible right now."

Ritsu's lips tightened.

"…And why not?"

Takano's eyebrows slowly rose at Onodera's quiet, but poignant words. He straightened up, turning his gaze to the smaller man.

"It's a little more than obvious Onodera. I have to stay here to take care of you."

Ritsu's lips tightened again, coiling like a spring.

"…No you don't."

Takano's tiger eyes widened at those three words, but his brow arched.

"It might have been true in the past," Onodera continued soberly. "But my condition has improved enough that I can get back to my own life. I'm considerably better now."

The brunette slightly lifted his chin at these words, and for the first time, he looked up from his book and met the taller man's gaze.

But even in his aloof state, Onodera was taken aback. He did not expect the man's eyes to be so dark.

"Your condition is still not up for debate." The shadow haired man spoke sharply, causing the brunette's jaw to clench.

Onodera bristled.

"How I feel is not left to you to decide!"

"You're blowing that out your ass." Takano retorted. "Look! You're hands are shaking."

The smaller man's eyes flickered down to his lap, and he was surprised to see quivers in his upper limbs. He'd been so caught up in the argument he hadn't even noticed. Even still, he wasn't ready to surrender.

"Takano-san," He spoke in a low tone. "I am not a child. I am an adult and I am capable of taking care of myself at my own apartment."

Takano's face contracted.

"The doctor only let you out of the hospital ON THE CONDITION that you had a caretaker 24/7."

"The DOCTOR doesn't need to know!"

The darker man's mouth dropped in awed fury.

"What is wrong with you! Why are you so HELL BENT on leaving here?"

Onodera gritted his teeth, but his anger boiled to the point where the lid wouldn't hold against the pressure.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE!" He all but yelled, smacking his book down onto the coffee table. But his narrowed green eyes widened in pure shock as Takano barked out a single laugh.

The taller man's fierce eyes locked on him, and there was almost a smile at the man's lips.

"What, that old line again? Don't you have any newer ones to spill?"

But their expressions quickly reversed as Onodera shot off the couch, his face contorted with a rage that Takano had never seen.  
>"Don't you DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" He snarled like a rabid dog, his green eyes taking on a sick, noxious glint.<p>

The taller man was aghast at the brunette's face. Not once in this lifetime had he ever witnessed Onodera give such a manic, violent display. He got angry yes, but he always managed to be polite in spite of that.

Now was different. He was callous and raw, a cornered animal out for blood.

What was making him act this way?

In spite of his shock, Takano had dealt with raging people before, so he immediately cooled the expression on his own face. Even if he was pissed himself, his first priority was to try to get the brunette to calm down.

"Okay, sorry." He apologized blandly, raising a palm.

But not one muscle in Onodera's face relaxed. He turned slightly, still glaring at the other man.

"I'm going home."

"Onodera listen—"

"I'M GOING HOME!" The brunette screamed at him, a strange flush beginning to seep into his pale cheeks.

Takano's own anger began to rise, and even though it was against his better judgment, he wanted to bite back.

"NO, you are not." He growled, folding his toned arms across his chest.

"YOU CAN'T STOP ME!" The brunette hollered back. But immediately after his outburst, the taller man grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back against the wall, large hands holding him in place. Onodera sucked in a furious, scared, shaky breath, his eyes locked on the man before him.

"Onodera," Takano snarled out. "You're being incredibly selfish."

Onodera hands shot up in a flash and shoved the taller man back with a surprising amount of strength.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled, his steady breaths becoming frantic pants. Takano's anger was momentarily quelled as he noticed that the brunette's frame had begun to shake. Even still, he wasn't about to stop the ball.

"Onodera, what's your problem?" He barked out.

"You're my problem!" The brunette shot back, clenching his small fists.

"That's what you always say." Takano growled back. "Why don't you try being more specific for a change?"

His harsh words just made Onodera angrier, and now his entire body was trembling with rage. The brunette lowered his head, sucking in fast, shallow breaths.

"I HATE YOU." He snarled out between his chattering teeth.

The equally sharp words sliced Takano, but the adrenaline thundering through his body dulled the pain.

"WHY?" He shot out. "WHY do you hate me?"

Onodera clamped his teeth together, pressure and more pressure building up and screaming for release inside his head. Takano glared at him. He could see the brunette was struggling, but right now, all he wanted was to push him harder. Only by doing that could he know the truth.

The dark man took a step towards Onodera, who immediately flinched and stumbled backwards.

"Don't come near me!" He yelped, blinking rapidly as hot tears began to gather around his wide eyes.

Takano took another step, forcing the brunette to put his back to the wall.

"Tell me." He commanded.

The brunette shook harder with rage, looking at Takano as if he hated every strand and fiber of him. Takano scowled back just as harshly, and moved closer. Onodera's eyes quickly searched for exits, but he stopped cold as a large hand slammed into the wall next to his head.

"ONODERA!" Takano barked. "Tell me!"

"NO!" The panicked brunette cried back.

"TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" Onodera screamed, clamping both hands onto his head and digging his fingers into his scalp. He yelped when Takano grabbed one of his pale wrists and jerked it, a crystal tear falling loose and slipping down his cheek.

"WHY?" The man raged. "Why do you hate me Onodera? Why do you flinch when I touch you? When I make love to you why do you look away!"

The brunette let out a muffled sob, using his free hand to cover his mouth. His face was flushed and red now, and he was trying to hold back his whirlwind emotions with every ounce of restraint he had.

But Takano knew it was time. It was time to cut to the core. Onodera had been stripped of all his fronts, all his vagueness and denial.

Now whatever had been sleeping inside him all this time was about to bear its head.

"Is it because of what happened in high school?" Takano spoke sharply, tightening his grip on the thin wrist. "Because of that misunderstanding? Because you got hurt? Isn't it about time that you realize that it was all an accident! The past is the past Onodera, you have to let that go or you'll never be able to get a hold of yourself again!"

"AUHHH!"

Takano's eyes shot open as the brunette let out a wailing scream and shoved him back, breaking his grip in the process. Another tear leaked out and pattered onto the floor.

"You really have no idea, do you!" The brunette spat out, holding his throbbing head in his hands.

"No idea about what—"

"YOU BROKE ME!" Onodera wailed out, cutting him off. "And it took years to put myself back together! I grew up trying to gain confidence in who I was and what I loved, and your careless slight completely shattered what little I had!"

Takano's lips parted in shock as he watched the smaller man's demeanor splinter and crack like a piece of wood being broken over a stone.

"Onodera listen—"

"NO!" The brunette cut him off again. "YOU LISTEN! You wanted to know! Then listen to what you did to me! I had never loved anyone before then, and when you returned my love I trusted you! And then after we broke up, I tried to love and trust other people! But all I could think was, 'Is this person going to hurt me like that bastard did?' I could never bring myself to open up to anyone because of you, so I buried myself in my work with books! I even started to gain a bit of happiness again!"

The brunette only grew more frantic as he wailed out, his volume reaching screaming heights.

"And THEN OF ALL THE FUCKING THINGS THAT COULD'VE HAPPENED, I TRANSFER TO A NEW COMPANY AND YOU'RE MY GODDAMNED FUCKING BOSS! NOW I CAN'T EVEN WORK WITHOUT SEEING YOU AND REMEMBERING ALL THAT I'VE BEEN PUT THROUGH!"

The smaller man was sobbing violently by this point, choking and screaming his words out as if he were vomiting something rotten in his stomach. Takano's anger was immediately stripped from him as Onodera's words rattled like chains inside his head, and he found himself unable to move or react.

"AND NOW WITH THIS BABY, YOU'VE EVEN TAKEN AWAY MY WORK! YOU'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING FROM ME AND I HATE YOU FOR IT! I WISH I'D NEVER EVER MET YOU! I WISH YOU WOULD JUST DISAPPEAR SO I COULD LIVE OUT THE REST OF MY MISERABLE LIFE ALONE IN PEACE!"

With a final cry, the brunette knees gave out and he slumped to the floor, his pouring tears raining down onto the wood grain. He gripped his hair roughly as he cried, his forehead almost touching the floor as he quivered and shook.

But his weeping eyes opened with shock as he felt a warm pair of hands take his shoulders. Takano took the smaller man into his strong arms, resting his cheek against the top of the chestnut head.

Onodera struggled, but found strangely that he didn't have as much energy as before. His arms were lead as he tried to push the other man away, and when that didn't work, he grew more frustrated.

"L—Let go! Let go!" He wailed, still shifting around. "Let go…Please let go…"

"Onodera…" Takano almost choked out. "Please, listen to me now…Even…Even though I know how you feel about me, I want you to know that I still love you."

Onodera's brow creased and he let out another sob.

"…let go…"

But Takano didn't budge.

"Maybe you associate me with pain…but I associate you with happiness. As long as I tried to go on…I couldn't forget you…And I never have…"

The dark-haired editor wrapped his arms tighter around the one he loved, and was slightly surprised when he felt the brunette completely relax. He lowered his head to look at Onodera's face, but his eyebrows shot up when he did.

Onodera's red rimmed eyes were barely even open, and his head had begun to unsteadily sway.

"Onodera?" Takano said worriedly. "Are you alright? Say something."

"Uh…d—don't feel good…feel weak…"

And with those last, creaky words, the chestnut head lolled back and the small body went limp. Takano hands quickly snatched the form to his chest, and he hurriedly moved to the brunette's jaw to check his pulse. His eyes widened when he touched the pale, clammy skin that was way too warm.

"Oh my god you're burning up." Takano whispered. "Hang in there Onodera…" He said, grabbing his cell phone and rapidly dialing the number for the hospital.

* * *

><p>Phew. Holy Christ this took forever to write. I'm exhausted.<p>

Well, in spite of the fact that I've sent both my pregnant ukes to the hospital, I hope you all are still enjoying the story :) I realize the angst is rather dark in this fic, but believe me when I say that there will be light in this story as well. I'm inclined to believe that you appreciate light more when you've been in darkness.

Anyways, I want to talk a bit about Onodera in my author's notes today. It has been my observation in the Nakamura fandom world that this particular character gets more than his share of flack from the readers, even in the reviews for this story. I kind of wondered for awhile why everyone is so impatient with him, and since he is one of the main perspectives in this story, I had to study his character deeply so I could write him.

So we are going to have a little lecture I like to call "The Psychology of Onodera Ritsu." :)

First of all, it seems most often that people blame Onodera for the failed relationship of nostalgia. In other words, him taking off and breaking Takano's heart. But I'm inclined to believe neither one of them shared the blame, but their immature mindsets created much more drama than intended.

First of all, consider Onodera's family. From the thankfully small portion we've seen of his mother, it appears she is an overbearing, smothering, control freak. Onodera's nit-picky, critical mother is probably the best explanation I can think of for his lack of self-confidence and overall jumpiness. And when he started to encounter problems with Takano, he freaked out and split from the overwhelming humiliation of being "led on" by someone he loved. My guess is that reaction came from his upbringing more than anything.

(and of course all this stuff will be addressed in upcoming chapters but I just need to get this out of my system)

Also, the setup of SIH is also a good explanation of why people are impatient with Onodera. With yaoi readers, (including myself) something we are all just waiting for the damn couple to get together so they can fuck. In Nakamura's other hit Junjou Romantica, we got smut within the first twenty pages. Whereas with SIH, we had to wait like FIVE WHOLE chapters just to get to jerking off. And then to top that all off, jerked off uke doesn't want anything to do with jerking off seme, so the fucks are few and far between. I know the first time I read SIH I was pissed that there was minimal smut, and so I glossed over Onodera's backstory and his emotions because I was more focused on the relationship (and the fucking) rather than the individuals.

In addition, most readers are just more impatient with Onodera in general, as opposed to Misaki, Hiroki, or even Miyagi, simply because he does not want to date period. Misaki is naive, Hiroki is more jaded, and Miyagi just doesn't give a fuck, but Onodera actually resists any sort of relationship. It really tends to irk the reader, as the gorgeous talented Takano is rejected because of this resisting.

...oh dear god I've written an essay... *head/desk *

Anyways, the more I write Onodera, the more I actually really begin to identify and like him, and so I hope by shedding some light on his psyche that we can understand his actions a bit better.

New chapter will be up soon :)

And Cerberus, sorry it took me so long XD It's those damn nekos. They go to my head like alcohol and money.

Kisses! Thank you all so much for the favs, reviews, and just reading! ^_^

TBF101


	9. Chapter 9

Hmm. My chapters seem to be getting longer and longer lately *inclines ear to hear praise and gratitude *

But I'm not having a lot of writer's block so it's been pretty good as of late.

WOW! I'm so impressed with the discussion on Onodera's character that has resulted from the last chapter. I read every one of your reviews and I love all of the intelligent insights all of you generated. Bravo readers! :D

More angst is coming, but there are going to be a few more happy spots interchanging as well.

Thank you all so much for the feedback and I hope you continue to enjoy ^_^

***bows ***

**The Black Flamingo 101**

**P.S. Cerberus seme: I pass the update baton to you ;D huggles!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight: A Voice Calling<strong>

The crackled pitch of the intercom system rang throughout the halls of the hospital, paging a doctor to the radiology lab on the second floor. Not long after, another followed, this time calling a surgeon to an operating room. These calls were frequent. So much in fact, that most people would selectively tune them out if the message did not apply.

But there was one person who was not hearing anything at all.

In a corner of an empty waiting room, Yuu sat, neither hearing nor speaking as he held his heavy head in his hands.

It was almost eleven at night, five hours since they had arrived at the hospital in the wailing mourn of an ambulance. Five hours that consisted of frantic nurses and EMTs, needles, stitches, medications, and an endless amount of questions repeated over and over. The emergency room had been a nightmare, as Hisashi had regained consciousness when he was being stitched up, and had fallen into a screaming state of panic.

Both Hisashi and the baby were stabilized right now, but after all Yuu had seen this night, it was of little comfort. His fragile boyfriend was in his room, his mind enveloped in an induced sleep, his hands restrained, and a nurse checking his room every fifteen minutes like clockwork. The reduced, pathetic condition of the one he loved was more than Yuu could bear. After Hisashi had fallen asleep, Yuu had wandered along the empty halls of the hospital. When he tired, he found a deserted room, sat down, and wept.

Through his tears, his mind spilled and vomited all his exhaustion, anguish, shock, and worrisome questions.

What would have happened if he'd been too late?

How would this affect the baby?

Could he have prevented this?

And most of all…why? Why had Hisashi done it?

Why did he want to leave him?

Why did he want to—…to kill himself?

That question sent a whole new stream of tears flooding the brunette's eyes, and he let a quiet sob escape his lips. He buried his face in his hands, his strong shoulders quivering as sorrow flooded through his body like a cold fog.

Another hour ticked by, and slowly the faucet of pouring salt water went dry. Yuu sat in the darkness of the waiting room, his elbows resting on his knees and his head bowed. The brunette was drained in every sense. The tension of weeping had worn his body out physically, and his mind had stilled from the rolling waves of emotion.

Yuu's lifeless eyes stared at the floor, looking but not comprehending in the least as more calls and pages sounded over the intercom. He sat there, and the only sound he heard were his own shallow, steady breaths…

"Yuu-kun?"

In the midst of his quiet fog of solitude, Yuu heard a soft murmur. His achy eyes slowly lifted to the entrance of the room, where a beam of light streamed in. An illuminated shadow cut through the light and walked in. Yuu's eyes squinted as he looked up, and when he recognized the shadowy face, his lips parted.

"…Renaka-san?"

The tall, ebony-haired woman nodded, giving Yuu a calm smile.

Hajime Renaka was a best selling fantasy mangaka who wrote under the name Rurouri Renaka. She had lived next door to the Araki family for over a decade, and had taught Hisashi everything he knew about art and manga. Ever since Hisashi was young, and especially after her own son Atsushi had passed away, Renaka and the blonde had been especially close, practically like a mother and son.

Even still, Yuu was surprised to see her here, considering she lived all the way out in Hokkaido. Renaka looked fondly down at the brunette, giving him a half-hearted smile.

"It's good to see you Yuu, even under these circumstances."

"What are you doing here?" He asked, quietly but politely.

Renaka breathed a heavy sigh, easing into the chair next to Yuu.

"Hisashi called me this morning. And from what he told me I knew it would not be wise to stay in Hokkaido and twiddle my thumbs. After my plane landed, I went to his apartment and a neighbor told me that he'd been taken here."

"But…" Yuu murmured. "What did he tell you? Hisashi, I mean…"

Renaka leaned back in her chair, her dark eyes drifting towards the ceiling.

"Just all the little details you two never let me in on when I call. About Hisashi's pregnancy affecting his health, and you overworking yourself, and him feeling guilty about taxing you because he can't help. He was quite worked up when he called, and I got the feeling he's been holding his thoughts in for some time."

Yuu gave her a weary nod.

"I see…" He said, trying to suppress the guilty wave of nausea that seeped into his stomach. "Have you seen him yet?"

Renaka nodded.

"Yes. He's still sleeping. I told a nurse I was his mother and had her fill me in on his condition."

Yuu grunted back, folding his hands and bowing his head slightly. The two sat in the still silence for a few minutes. The room was dark, but Renaka made no move to turn on a lamp, which Yuu was grateful for. Any sort of brightness would only highlight the tired, anguished lines on his face, as well as the blow to his pride.

He had failed. He had failed his lover, he had failed their baby, and he had failed himself.

And the thought of his boyfriend lying in that hospital room because of his failure sent another painful twist to his insides. Yuu's head dipped lower, but he was surprised when a warm hand placed itself on his shoulder.

"Yuu, I hope you realize that none of this is your fault."

The brunette's dulled eyes widened, and he lifted his gaze. He looked Renaka in the eyes, but his gaze was soberly skeptical.

Renaka picked up on his doubt.

"Believe me Yuu," She said soothingly, running her hand across his shoulder blades.

Yuu sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry Renaka-san…but I can't."

Renaka echoed his sigh, turning herself towards him.

"I know how you must feel right now Yuu, but what I say is true. And… this isn't the first time this has happened."

Yuu's eyes went wide and he lifted his head.

"What? When?"

Renaka continued soberly.

"It was after Atsushi's death, before he moved to Tokyo."

Yuu's hands weaved roughly through his hair and he felt even sicker.

"Oh my god…why didn't he ever tell me?"

"Probably because he feels awful about it." Renaka smiled sadly. "After we took him to the hospital and got his stomach pumped, he came to his senses and felt serious remorse for his actions. The doctor, his parents, and I all suspected that what he did was the result of Hisashi's posttraumatic stress disorder, and that he didn't really comprehend what he was doing."

Yuu stared at her in shock. When he didn't answer right away, Renaka continued to enlighten.

"He later described to me what it felt like. He said that he had all these different emotions building up and hammering inside his head, and he had no way of releasing them. The more he tried to calm down, the more he panicked, until his reason was completely gone. At that point, all he wanted to do was make the feelings stop, and it escalated to him trying to kill himself."

"So it's…" Yuu murmured slowly. "It's all because of…"

"His PTSD." Renaka nodded. "According to his father, he's had it his whole life, and it's just something that never entirely goes away. It tends to surface especially when he's under high amounts of stress, such as when Atsushi died. Plus I imagine the pregnancy hormones don't help."

Renaka took her arm away from Yuu and folded her hands behind her head, giving a light yawn.

"I know Sashi-chan was on medication for it when he was younger, and I intend to talk to him about maybe getting on it again."

The brunette slumped back as well, his mind weighted down with a new sort of overload. Hisashi's past was certainly a lot to take in, but in a way Yuu's mind had been able to shift into a more collected state.

"Excuse me."

Yuu and Renaka looked up as a woman in scrubs knocked on the door.

"Are you with Araki-san?" The nurse asked.

"Yes, we are." Renaka replied. "Is anything wrong?"

"Oh no," The nurse replied reassuringly. "But Araki-san is awake and he wanted me to come find a Yanase-san."

Yuu entire face immediately perked up.

"…Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

The nurse nodded and bowed, going back out the door and down the hallway. Yuu rose from his chair, stretching his arms.

"Are you ready to go back in?" Renaka asked, also rising.

Yuu nodded.

"Yes."

Renaka gave him a small smile and began to walk to the door.

"Well then, I imagine you'll be staying here tonight correct?"

Yuu replied affirmatively.

"In that case," Renaka said. "I'm going to go get my luggage out of the hallway and go check into a hotel room. But tell Sashi-chan that I'm here and I'll be back first thing in the morning alright?"

"Alright." Yuu agreed.

Renaka left in short order, after gathering her large amount of luggage and getting a key to Hisashi's apartment from Yuu so she could pick up a few things for them. After she had gone, Yuu walked back down the empty hall to Hisashi's room. The door was slightly ajar when he got there, and he took a second before entering, taking a deep, cleaning breath before padding into the dimly lit room.

He softly knocked on the door as he entered so as not to startled the blonde.

"Hisashi?" Yuu almost whispered, being mindful that he could have gone back to sleep.

"…Come in." A slightly choked voice replied.

Yuu's eyes found their mark at the other side of the room, where the blonde lay propped up on a hospital bed. Yuu walked over and sat down on the edge, taking in Hisashi's appearance.

The blonde lifted his head as Yuu looked at him, and the brunette saw tired melancholy in the dull blue eyes. Hisashi stared soberly and blankly back, and he weakly tugged at the restraints that bound his wrists to the bed.

Yuu gave him a small smile, and reached up to brush away a lock of the flaxen hair. Hisashi's lips pulled at the gesture. It looked as though he was trying to smile, but the wrinkles in his brow and his blank eyes only dampened the expression with cold blue sorrow. Yuu moved his hand downward and rested it against the blonde's clammy cheek, and Hisashi leaned his head further into the touch.

"How do you feel?" Yuu asked softly.

Hisashi's mouth parted, and he spoke in a quiet murmur.

"…Okay…"

Yuu's head turned towards the door as he heard a steady train of knocks.

"Pardon the intrusion." The nurse said, making a note on her clipboard as she peered inside. "Just doing checks."

Yuu nodded.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" She again tenderly, glancing at Hisashi.

The blonde's eyes drifted over to Yuu and he gave another uncomfortable tug at his restraints.

Yuu understood.

"Um, is it possible that he could have these taken off?" The brunette asked hopefully.

The nurse walked further into the room, silently taking in the appearance of the blonde. She pondered for a moment, then spoke.

"If you are in the room with him I suppose it would be fine."

"Thank you." Yuu replied, dipping his head gratefully. The nurse came forward and began to unfasten the straps, but right before she let them loose, she placed a hand on Hisashi's uninjured left arm. The blonde glanced at her in mild curiosity.

"But," She murmured gently, patting the pale hand. "You have to promise all of us that you won't try to hurt yourself. Can you do that?"

Hisashi swallowed, then lowered his chin in a nod.

The nurse smiled.

"Good."

The nurse undid the restraints on Hisashi's wrists, and then went to leave, giving the two young men a parting smile.

"My name is Narumi Ayame and I'm your night nurse. If you need anything just push the call button."

Yuu nodded to her and breathed a sigh as she shut the door. He turned his face back to Hisashi, who was hugging his stitched up wrist to his chest.

Yuu reached out a hand and squeezed his shoulder, leaving his hand to linger on the thin blonde. Hisashi's lips twitched again, but not as if he were trying to smile.

"Sashi? You sure you're okay?" Yuu murmured, trying to look into his boyfriend's face as the blonde bowed his head. Hisashi tried to nod in response, but when his lips began to quiver, he focused his intention on pressing them together to make them still.

Yuu leaned forward in concern as he saw tears pool in the stone blue eyes and he wrapped an arm around Hisashi, pressing his lips to the blonde's temple.

"Sashi…talk to me…please." Yuu pleaded. Hisashi's body quivered and hugged the brunette back, his breaths becoming raged.

"…Yuu…" He choked out in a whisper. "…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

A sob escaped the blonde's mouth and he buried himself deeper in Yuu's arms, repeating the same words over and over again.

"It's okay Sashi," Yuu murmured back. "Everything is okay."

"How can it be?" Hisashi cried softly. "I…I almost—…our baby Yuu…"

"I know, but the baby is okay and we will be too. It's not your fault."

Hisashi let out another sob at Yuu's words and clung to him tighter.

It was the blonde's turn to cry tonight, just as the brunette had. And like Yuu's tears, Hisashi's also eventually dried. After he had wept himself into a tired, peaceful state, the two boys lay together on the hospital bed, where Yuu held him. They talked in short sentences, few and far between, choosing to primarily keep the silence as they communicated through soft touch.

"I regretted it immediately afterwards," Hisashi murmured as he rested his cheek against the brunette's. "But there was so much blood so fast that I just kind of panicked. And by the time you got there, I was in a state of shock. I couldn't control my thoughts. They raced around like crazy and I almost felt like I was watching you through someone else's eyes."

Yuu grunted softly, giving Hisashi a squeeze.

"I can see that." He whispered back.

Yuu's hand crept further, sliding down the blonde's shoulder and resting on the enlarging baby bump. He massaged the stomach gently, earning a content grunt from the carrier.

"How's he doing?" Yuu murmured.

Hisashi gave a weary smile.

"I bet he's seen better days."

Yuu chuckled quietly.

"Something tells me he hasn't seen much of anything. But when does, I'm sure he'll like what he sees."

The brunette turned his head and pressed his lips chastely to Hisashi's. And in the quiet, dim light of the sleeping hospital, the exhausted couple eventually fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Warm, cinnamon eyes opened slowly as a shaft of light fell over them. Yuu glanced around, his brow furrowing as he didn't recognize the surroundings. His memory pattered back after a couple of seconds and he immediately looked to check on Hisashi. The blonde was still sleeping, his arms curled into his chest and breathing steady. Yuu breathed a sigh of relief and pulled back the sheet, sliding off the bed and stretching his arms. He grimaced as he looked at himself, unshowered and wearing day old clothes. Not to mention the fact that he and his boyfriend has shared the hospital bed. (Which was no doubt seen by the nurses who checked in four times an hour…) Yuu remembered starting off on the couch next to the window but eventually they both ended up together again. But a shrug followed his scowl, and he looked over at the far wall clock to see what time it was.<p>

By his gaze flew towards the door as it loudly swung open.

"Good morning boys!" Renaka chirped as she sauntered like a Chinese empress bearing gifts. The mangaka set down two full bags, and a laden orderly followed in behind her with four more. Hisashi's eyes blinked open with all the noise and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"…Renaka-san?" He muttered drearily.

She nodded, coming over to his bedside and giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"I hope you're feeling better Sashi-chan."

"…Uh yeah…" He stammered in confusion. "…what—what are you doing here?"

Yuu suddenly remembered that the forgot to mention to his boyfriend that his surrogate mother was in Tokyo, but wanting to escape flack, he said nothing.

"It's a little bit obvious Sashi-chan," Renaka sighed, putting a hand on her hip. "Since you and your partner have been entirely irresponsible in not letting me in on any of your problems, I have decide to stay in Tokyo for the time being and take care of them myself."

"But…" The blonde stuttered. "Uh…"

"I called your parents last night and filled them in. They would be here already but they're in Iceland at the moment, and your father is tied up with work so they won't be here for some time. But we are all in agreement that I'm going to stay with you two for the immediate future."

"What?" Hisashi exclaimed. "B—But what about your work?"

"I'm good for the next two months. I have quite a few finished short stories tucked away that I feed my editor in times of emergency. Feel free to hold your applause."

Hisashi gapped wider at the mangaka's words, and Yuu suddenly remembered that he was scheduled to be at Marukawa in an hour. He knew he couldn't leave Sashi, but Ijuuin would kill him if he didn't show…

As if sensing his predicament, Renaka turned to the brunette.

"And Yuu, don't worry about work right now. I'll handle Kyo."

"But Renaka-san," Yuu replied. "It's not just Ijuuin. Marukawa has new policies in place and if I miss too much work I could be fired. We're straining as it is with Hisashi out of commission."

Renaka regarded him calmly.

"Like I said Yuu, don't worry. If Marukawa fires you I can change that with a phone call. My late husband was a close relative of the Isaka family and I have quite a bit of influence with them. And if they insist on firing either of you, I will have a lawsuit up within a week and put them through hell."

Renaka tossed back her long, black braid and pivoted sharply on her heel, heading for the door.

"Now I'm going to go hunt our your nurse Sashi-chan. Just because we're in a psyche ward doesn't mean they shouldn't be checking up on his prenatals. You stay right there Yuu-kun and I'll go grab you a drink after I'm done. Sit tight boys!"

With a single command, the manga empress left the room, leaving two very quiet, very stunned men.

And at the moment, they couldn't really decide if Renaka coming to their rescue was the best thing that ever happened to them, or the worse mistake they could make.

* * *

><p>Nostalgia next! This time a taste of Takano ;D<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Hello darling readers! All of your reviews have been so wonderful and supportive :) I can't thank you enough for the feedback and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Cerberus Revised (the original author of the Egoist Uke Flu and also my betrothed seme) and I have been hard at work to coordinate our fics and even do a few little crossovers. And so if you are following her fic as well, stay tuned for a few surprises :)

Enjoy the chapter and tell me what you like! Thanks again for reading!

The Black Flamingo Uke 101

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Rewind and Fast Forward<strong>

In a wing on the other side of the hospital, another pregnant uke was being checked by the doctors to the crackled static of the intercom system.

Takano Masamune was leaning against the wall outside of Onodera's room while several nurses conducted blood work and a couple other tests. The two men had arrived at the ward late last night and the doctor had vouched for the brunette to stay at least a few days to recover his health. Onodera had woken up not long after being settled and given an IV, but he and Takano had barely exchanged a word.

Takano didn't particularly mind this. Considering the amount of what Onodera had screamed the night before, it was only natural he'd want to quiet down and think things over. Not to mention that Takano had quite a bit to think over himself.

The dark haired man leaned against the plaster wall, closing his eyes and letting a breath seep out of his lungs. His mind took him back to yesterday, replaying scenes like an old VCR tape. He studied the vision in his mind, hearing and digesting every word the other man had spoken.

Takano's eyelids drifted open, and he came back to the present. And having gleaned information, he now sought insight. The wheels of his mind began to turn and swirl his thoughts and emotions, and even while his face stayed vapid, he swallowed back bile.

"_I HATE YOU." _The words of yesterday screamed at him, it's bite not dulled in the least.

Takano's eyes closed again and he sighed. Even if the words stung and lashed, he could understand why they had been uttered. In fact, he'd known Onodera's feelings for quite a time. He knew Onodera hated him and he knew the reasons behind it. Long after they had broken up, the younger brunette was still hurt and damaged, and now that they were together again, the unhealed wounds had opened.

Takano knew this type of wound well. After he'd gained gashes and cuts himself, he had tried to heal them on his own. With friends. With sex. With alcohol. With work.

But none of his hedonistic pursuits had ever taken the twin wolves of sorrow and anger away. Even now, the wounds throbbed.

But through the years of pain, something had been given back in equivalency.

Understanding.

And it was because of this understanding that Takano had begun to see how those wounds could be healed. And this was precisely why he had pushed Onodera so hard last night.

Takano had realized that they wounds the two shared would not heal over time, nor could they be filled by pleasure or distraction. No, in order for them to heal…

They would have to be reopened and purged.

The editor's long legs began to shift, and Takano leaned off the wall, taking a few steps down to the end of the corridor where a large window gave a view of the city. Amber eyes peered over the building block appearance of Tokyo, and he watched as people and cars moved constantly like ants.

Takano had never liked the business of the every day people. How they scrambled through their lives at a breakneck pace, obsessing over their school or job. As a younger man, Takano had always wished they would just slow down…

No one else had ever really appreciated this particular view of his, and it was often branded as being lazy by his teachers and parents…well, that is, if his parents had actually paid attention to him. No one ever saw the attractiveness in just stopping long enough to see and hear the quiet side of the world.

Well, except one person.

Takano's eyes left the window and slid back down the hall, to where "Onodera, R" was written beside the door to his room.

Truth be told, the man was anxious to go back in and to be by Onodera's side through the tests, but he held back his driving want, knowing he needed to give the other man room to breathe.

Ritsu's own wounds were probably still stinging as well. Last night, he had revealed the ugliest facet of his soul to the world, and he was probably reeling from shame.

But in spite of that ugly shame and hate, Takano found that those raw emotions only made him long for Onodera even more.

The truth was never plainer to the raven-haired man.

He loved Onodera with all his heart. And no matter how much Onodera hated him, he couldn't stop.

And he wouldn't. Because there was a reason why he could take the outbursts, the glares, and the animosity. There was a reason why he had put work on the back burner, taken care of Onodera all day, and woke up three times a night to give him his medications.

Because nothing, absolutely nothing could be worse than living in the drunken, desperate hell he found himself in after Ritsu had left.

Takano had a goal, a dream, a longing. He didn't know when or even if he would achieve it, but it was that dream, that light, that gave him a reason to keep trudging through his monotonous life—

"Oh! Please excuse me." A nurse bowed as she noticed Takano standing by the door. Another nurse followed her out of Onodera's room, carrying a plastic container full of blood samples.

"Are you done?" Takano asked, already glancing inside the room.

The nurse gave him a nod.

"Yes, and if you need anything just press the call button." She smiled, bowing again before heading down the hall.

Takano quietly pushed the door opened and reentered the room.

The chestnut haired Onodera lay silently on his white hospital bed, his eyes half lidded as he stared out the window. Takano wordlessly walked over and sat down in the recliner that lay between the bed and the window. Since he was in Onodera's line of sight, he expected him to look away or at least turn his head. But the brunette didn't stir. His green eyes, even almost closed, glistened as they caught a ray of sun that streamed in through the glass. Onodera was clothed in a pale green hospital smock that only seemed to compliment his natural coloring. And even through tubes and needles lined his pale arms, the other man could still see the firm, elegant lines of the brunette's arms and torso.

Takano didn't take his eyes off the sight, his gaze softening at he looked back up at Ritsu's face.

"How do you feel?" He asked, folding his arms comfortably across his chest.

The brunette didn't respond right away, but slowly turned his gaze up towards the ceiling. The seconds ticked by, but Takano waited patiently for Onodera to speak.

"…Takano-san." He murmured after almost a minute.

"Yes Onodera?"

The brunette continued to stare up at the ceiling, even as he spoke.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night. I was incredibly rude."

Takano's dark eyebrows slowly rose in surprise as how easily and coherently Onodera was talking to him. Normally with all his pausing and stuttering (and back talking), it took them forever to get anywhere conversation wise. But there was a sort of restful peace that was masking Onodera's face, as if he had the means and the will to finally speak his true thoughts…

Though it was against his better judgment, Takano reached out a large hand and placed it other one of Onodera's, his thumb running soft circles over the pale skin. And for the first time, Onodera's heavy eyes slid over to Takano's face.

"Don't worry about it." Masamune said, his lips quietly smiling. Onodera's face remained emotionless, and after a couple seconds he resumed looking up at the ceiling.

Silence once again the master of the room, Takano found the TV remote and turned it on, settling back into his chair and dryly watching the news. Onodera watched as well, his eyes and face as unchanging as the rhythm of the rolling sea.

_Knock knock knock. _

"Pardon me," A nurse said, poking her head through the partially open door. "But Gensei-sensei is here and he'd like to see you."

"Tell him to come in." Takano replied, sitting up and letting out a slight yawn. A second later, doctor Gensei Nobuo entered, carry a folder and thumbing through the pages.

"Onodera-san," He smiled warmly as he walked over. "How are you feeling today?"

The brunette glanced up with cloudy eyes.

"Better, thank you." He replied quietly.

The doctor nodded, making another note on his clipboard.

"Good to hear. As we said last night, I imagine your fever and fainting spell were just a symptom of your condition, but you did have quite a temperature all the same. I'd like to keep you here a few days just make sure all of your tests come out normal."

Onodera dipped his chin in reply. Takano did as well in agreement. He was relieved that Onodera was being especially cooperative today, as well as the fact that Dr. Gensei would be his primary physician. The man was one of the top doctors in the hospital in terms of uke flu treatment, and was incredibly understanding and kind to the patients, unlike so many others who were disgusted by the virus. Some even refused to treat victims all together. Dr. Gensei had been the one to treat Onodera when he was in the hospital previously, and it was a relief to have consistency in one area of their lives.

"Takano-san," The doctor said to the other man. "If you don't mind I'd like to speak to you for a moment."

"Sure." Takano replied. His eyes briefly flickered over to Onodera. "I'll be right back." He said, giving the brunette a pat on the shoulder. Onodera nodded in reply, then resumed looking dazedly at the TV.

Takano followed the physician out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

"Sensei, is there anything wrong?" Takano asked soberly. He knew whatever news the doctor had for him probably wasn't good, considering the man didn't want Onodera to know.

"Oh no, nothing like that." Gensei smiled, waving palm back and forth. "There are just a few things I would like to inform you of. You've probably noticed this already concerning his demeanor, but we've put him on a few tranquilizers for the time being."

Takano's eyes widened in shock.

"He's sedated?"

Gensei nodded.

"Yes. After he woke up last night in the ER, he was quite hysterical so we thought it would be in his best interest. Though now that he seems to have calmed down, we will immediately start decreasing them."

Takano ran a hand haphazardly through his hand, still reeling from this little tidbit. It was no wonder that Onodera was speaking so truthfully and coherently. He was on more drugs than a Rolling Stones fan at Woodstock…

Takano sighed, glancing back up at the doctor.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Gensei replied. He quickly sifted through a second folder and pulled out a dark piece of paper. Takano's eyebrows went up as he recognized what it was.

"An ultrasound?"

The doctor nodded.

"Yes, when he came in last night one of the first things we did was a heartbeat test, just to be sure the baby was alright. And when the tech noticed something, we did an ultrasound to confirm his suspicions."

Takano swallowed a cold lump that had begun growing in his throat.

"…Is anything wrong?"

The doctor shook his head, still smiling. He was fully aware of their situation, including that Takano was the father of the child, and having children of his own, Gensei could understand and appreciate Takano's quiet concern.

"Quite the contrary Takano-san. Quite the contrary."

* * *

><p>After tying up loose ends with the doctor, Takano stood in front of Onodera's door, trying to pull himself back together before he reentered.<p>

The tall man seeped in a deep breath, and finally pushed open the door. As he walked inside, he was a little surprised to see Onodera sitting up and making eye contact.

"What did the doctor say?" The brunette asked, looking up with a bit of apprehension. Takano paused, trying to sweep his thoughts all into a single pile. Onodera continued to wait and stare at him. He seemed more like this normal self, as some of the clouds had left his eyes. But even though he was probably still fairly calm, Takano was wary about just spilling out the news, even though bluntness was his normal specialty.

"Nothing is wrong for the most part." Takano replied, still standing in front of the bed. Onodera nodded, but picked up on Takano's caution.

"Are you sure?" He pressed blandly.

Takano sighed.

"Well, he did have some news…"

Onodera leaned forward.

"About what?"

"They took an ultrasound last night, and he showed me."

Onodera's face started to drain with worry. Takano quickly raised a hand.

"Like I said, nothing is wrong… but there is news."

"Tell me." Onodera pleaded, pressing his lips together.

Takano scratched the back of his neck, still trying to figure out how to put the message delicately.

"Please!" Onodera spoke, his brow beginning to crease in fear. "Please just tell me!"

"Okay," Takano sighed, clenching and unclenching his jaw. "Well…you know that bun you're baking?"

Onodera's eyebrows furrowed at the strangeness of the expression, but he slowly nodded.

"Well…" Takano said. "…there's two.

…we're having twins."


	11. Chapter 11

Hello lovely readers :)

Sorry about the waits for new chaps, but since they are getting longer, they take a bit more time. So instead of frequent updates, I'm gonna go for fewer but longer updates. This chapter was originally going to be a huge one, but it became so large I've decided to divide it into two so you guys could get a bit sooner.

I hope you all are still enjoying the story and you have my eternal gratitude for reading

^_^ Arigato Gozaimasu and long live the uke flu!

**TBF101**

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Masks of Love<strong>

"…Twins?"

Takano nodded, his amber eyes scrutinizing every angle of Onodera's face. He watched warily, not quite sure how Onodera would take the news in his state. But the one reaction the man did not expect was for the brunette to just lie back, completely calm, and utter a single grunt as if to say, "Huh, imagine that."

And that's precisely what Onodera did.

Takano flopped back down in the recliner, shaking his head at the other man in amazement.

Just how much dope did they have him on?

"You're taking the news rather well." Takano snorted, though mostly at himself, considering he had been floored by the announcement and Onodera apparently thought things were just peachy.

The brunette shrugged in response, placing his palm on the baby bump and rubbing a gentle circle.

"I don't know…I guess I kinda already knew."

Takano's eyebrows shot up.

"You knew? How?"

Onodera leaned his head down, holding his stomach with both his hands while a slight smile pulled at his mouth.

"I don't know…I mean, I just…knew. I can't really explain how. But, the way I feel it move…I just kinda figured out there were two."

Takano stared in quiet awe as Onodera kept rubbing at his stomach, but after only a few seconds, his own mouth curled. He scooted closer to the bed, reaching out a large hand.

"Can I touch them?" He asked. After a few seconds, Onodera nodded.

Takano gently placed his palm on the baby bulge, stilling his entire body in order to fully feel his unborn children. After almost a minute, Takano began to soothingly rub the area, and he was pleasantly surprised when Ritsu didn't pull away.

_Bump. _

Takano's hand froze, and Onodera grunted in surprise as they both felt an unmistakable little movement. They stayed stone still for the next few moments, until they felt it again.

_Bump. Bump. _

Onodera smiled quietly.

"They're kicking." He murmured. When the other man didn't respond, Ritsu lifted his green eyes and was taken aback at Takano's face.

The dark haired man's eyes were a warm, soft gold that was overflowing with a wordless adoration. The babies kicked again, and Takano's lips parted into a grin of pure enthrallment.

Onodera was amazed.

Takano's entire face was a mask of love…

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

"Onodera-san?" The nurse called, poking her head inside the door again. "Are you feeling well enough to have visitors? There are some guests out here to see you—"

"NO!" Onodera shot out, jerking up immediately. Takano flinched at the brunette's volume, and was taken aback by the look of terror in those wide, green eyes.

What on earth was wrong?

The nurse was equally stunned.

"O—Okay Onodera-san, if you don't feel well I can just tell them to come back later—"

But no sooner had the nurse turned to go then the door burst open, revealing three people who Ritsu all recognized.

And his face immediately drained of color.

"Ritsu!" An older woman with a tight coil of hair shrieked as she pushed past the nurse. "Why on earth are you in the hospital again?"

Onodera swallowed hard, his eyes wide as he took in the perturbing countenance of Onodera Maiko…his mother.

"Rit-chan!" A higher voice also called, following in after Maiko. Takano immediately pinpointed the newest guest as Kohinata An, Ritsu's childhood friend.

The last person to enter was someone Takano had never seen, but immediately knew. The man looked about as old as Ritsu's mother, with an age-creased face, cinnamon brown eyes, and short chestnut hair the exact shade as Ritsu's.

Onodera noticed him as well, and confirmed Takano's suspicions.

"…F—Father?" He stammered out, his face still pale as death. Onodera Ryoichi's creased lips pulled into a faint smile.

"Hello son." He replied, coming to stand behind Ritsu's mother.

"RITSU!" Maiko barked, jerking her son's attention back to her. "What is this all about!"

"Er…um excuse me Miss." The nurse said, waving down the three intruders. "But Onodera-san is not feeling well enough for visitors. I'm going to have to ask you to come back later."

But Maiko barely turned to look at the caretaker.

"I assume you, he is well enough to be seen by his own family." The woman spoke sharply. "Now, that will be all."

"Mother!" Ritsu shouted, appalled by her rudeness.

The nurse, clearly appalled herself, was about to insist on their departure, when the senior Onodera gave her a warm smile.

"Please excuse us honorable miss." Ryoichi bowed slightly. "But we will be out momentarily. Will you allow us a short minute with our son before we go?"

The nurse's temper was immediately replaced with shock as the man bowed to her with all formality and politeness. She stood open mouthed for a few seconds before bowing back and answering.

"Oh um….yes, I—I can do that."

Ryoichi smiled again and dipped his head again.

"Thank you."

Takano too was taken aback by the exchange. If this man was indeed Ritsu's father, that meant he was the chairman of Onodera Publishing. The fact that an extremely wealthy, powerful man such as himself bowed to a hospital nurse was almost inconceivable.

And yet, something about the exchange unmistakably reminded Takano of the youngest Onodera.

The nurse gone, Maiko turned her attention back to her son, who was staring blankly at the folded hands in his lap.

"Ritsu," The woman said sharply. "You assured me over the phone last month that your last hospitalization was just a fluke occurrence! So why are you here again when you should be at work?"

Takano's eyebrows creased darkly at the words, and he suspected that Onodera wasn't letting his family in on the entire picture. He brought a fist up to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

His grunt immediately gained him an audience.

"And who exactly are you?" Maiko challenged quietly, folding her arms across her chest.

Takano regarded her calmly.

"Takano Masamune. I'm Onodera-kun's boss as well as his neighbor."

"I see." Maiko replied, none of the coldness leaving her face. But it only took a few seconds for her to turn back to her son.

"Ritsu, explain yourself. How on earth do you expect to be successful in business if you are wasting time with this charade?"

Onodera continued to stare at his hands, but this time he responded to his mother's verbal tirade.

"Mother I'm an adult. I'm capable of handling things on my own."

"Well you're obviously not Ritsu." Maiko snorted back immediately. "Even when you were a child you were incapable of thinking rationally and it seems to be a phase you will never grow out of."

Takano's eyes darkened at the woman's harsh words and he noticed a slight tremor in Onodera's lip.

"You'll never be a capable adult if you keep going at this rate." Maiko stated coldly. "Much less the heir to your family's company."

Ritsu's pale hands curled into fists.

"Mother, I have made it perfectly clear time and time again that I am NOT going to be father's successor."

Maiko rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you'll change your mind when you realize how foolish you are behaving. Your life can testify to that."

"There is nothing wrong with the way I live my life!" Ritsu shouted back, his head dipping farther forward.

"Hah," Maiko huffed. "If you believe that than you are more than just delusional. Look at you! You're lying in a hospital bed when there is clearly NOTHING wrong with you! Now Ritsu, stop this childishness and get yourself out of this place. We are having dinner tonight with An-chan's family and you will be there to attend."

Takano's amber eyes watched as Onodera bit back muffled replies, holding his head in his hands and shaking with frustration. And it was then that Takano realized the full gravity of Onodera's situation…

He had told his family absolutely nothing. And it was obvious why.

There was no conceivable way he could.

Takano felt his heart sink and his anger rise as he saw Onodera almost on the verge of tears. He still had not replied to the orders of his mother, and in Takano's eyes, he was far too stressed to.

And right then, the tall editor realized that he had to take the situation into his own hands. Even if they weren't his family, Takano heart felt a responsibility towards the man he loved, and he had never taken it lightly.

The man rose from the chair, immediately gaining himself an audience.

"I'm terribly sorry Onodera-san," He said, nodding to Maiko. "But in spite of your opinion on the subject, your son is not well enough to leave the hospital."

Maiko's eyes narrowed at the intruder.

"Excuse me, but this matter is none of your business." She snapped back, turning back to give Onodera another sharp piece of her mind. But even the strong willed woman was surprised when Takano didn't back down.

"I beg to differ." He replied, moving to stand closer to Onodera's side. Ritsu's eyes briefly flickered to the other man. Takano's own gaze reached down to meet his.

A silent wave of understanding passed between the men, and it was instantly obvious that Takano now planned on revealing the truth to Onodera's family. Even still, the man waited, all of his senses tuned to see if Onodera would let the unveiling occur.

But Onodera didn't say a word. And Takano knew why.

He knew Onodera was scared. Scared to death of revealing his pregnancy to his family. Scared of outing himself by telling him he was having sex with his own boss.

Scared of seeing just how awful his mother would treat him if he told.

But despite the fact that at the heart Onodera was just too cowardly to tell his own family, Takano understood. And by Onodera not jumping up to stop him, the brunette had given Takano, the father of his twins, consent to bring the truth to light.

And with that consent, Takano dived into the brawl without another moment's hesitation. His amber eyes drifted from Maiko, to An, and then to Ryoichi, who so far had said nothing.

"Onodera-san," Takano said, turning back to Maiko. "Despite what you may think, your son's condition is not exactly normal at the moment. This hospitalization and the one last month are all a part of his condition."

Maiko's gaze darkened.

"And what 'condition' might this be?"

Takano boldly met her gaze, but took a long breath before responding.

"Onodera-san, are you familiar with the outbreak of virus MP3REG36?"

"That disgusting, unnatural pandemic spurned by the underbelly of society?" Maiko snorted. "Of course. It's hard not to hear news of it. Rather an unpleasant topic for normal, upstanding citizens to be forced to listen to."

Takano's face remained impassive despite her comments.

"But what does this have to do with my son?" Maiko shot hotly. "Do you actually have something important to say or are you going to continue to waste my time?"

"What I would like to say, Onodera-san," Takano replied just as coldly. "Is that your son…was a recipient of the uke flu outbreak."

Takano looked up, his amber eyes holding no secrets.

"Onodera-san, your son is pregnant…with my children."

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><p>Another chapter of Nostalgia next and then back to Artistica :)<p>

Thanks again for reading! Tell me what you like and I update much faster :) :) :)

...FOUR MORE DAYS TILL THE NEW AI NO KUSABI OVA COMES OUT! WAAAAAHHHHHHH!


	12. Chapter 12

WOW! Thank you all for such great reviews! ^_^ Hope you continue to enjoy!

Next chapter is back to Artistica (Yuu x Hisashi)! And next chapter will feature a veeeerrry special guest :)

** Peace. Love. Microwaves. Yaoi. **

**TBF101**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: The Way We Are<strong>

"Onodera-san, your son is pregnant…with my children."

After boldly stating the truth to Onodera's family, Takano crossed his arms across his chest and put his eyes forward, bracing himself for whatever was thrown his way.

But his lips soon began to tighten in anger.

Onodera Maiko let out a small trail of chuckles, but there was absolutely no humor in her eyes.

"I must say, out of all the jokes in poor taste I've heard, that must be the most horrible." Maiko spoke haughtily. "Now Ritsu, if you will obey your mother and tell your neighbor to mind his own business, we can stop wasting time on foolery and leave."

Ritsu kept his head lowered, but he finally spoke.

"…It's not a joke mother…" He murmured. His pale hands reached down and took the edge of his hospital smock, slowly pulling upward until the sizable bump in his stomach was revealed. An's startled gasp echoed through the room, but Takano's eyes were only set on Maiko. The woman's face had completely changed from the arrogant mask she had worn. Her mouth had parted into a gapping hole, and her brow was creased like a sharp piece of glass. Her emerald green eyes went wide with shock that slowly darkened into a frightening shade of anger.

Ritsu swallowed hard, still not looking at her as he placed a palm on the bulge.

"I'm four months along." He said, his tone barely audible.

Razor sharp silence descended on the room, and Takano's tiger eyes narrowed as he felt the unmistakable rise of tension. He knew the aura of silent fury well, and he knew that things were about to completely explode.

"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU?" Maiko screamed, snatching one of Ritsu's wrists and jerking it towards her. "YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE DISGUSTING CRETINS WHO SPREAD THEIR LEGS FOR ANOTHER MAN? IS THIS YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR SLEEPING AROUND WITH FAGS LIKE A FILTHY WHORE!"

Ritsu yanked back his arm with a muffled gasp, his jaw clenching and trembling.

"RITSU!" Maiko shrieked again, her arms flailing. "As your mother I ORDER YOU to get rid of those—those THINGS! No son of this family is going to be a knocked up slut who takes it up the ass!"

Ritsu sobbed again, a crystal tear streaking down and dripping off the edge of his jaw.

"No."

Maiko's eyes narrowed.

"WHAT did you say to me?"

"I said no." Ritsu creaked out. "I'm not giving them up."

"Ritsu," Maiko said slowly, her tone leaking venom. "I am giving you one more chance to obey me, and if you don't I will see to it personally that you are thrown out of this family for the rest of your miserable life! NOW DO AS I SAY AND HAVE THOSE THINGS DESTROYED!"

"I WON'T DO IT!" He yelled back, another tear sliding down his cheek. Ritsu choked back a sob and lowered his head while his mother stood in shock and hatred.

"Then you are no longer my son." Maiko bit sharply. "I can't believe the single child I gave birth too and raised would turn out to be such a disgrace."

The woman pivoted on her heel, turning to storm out into the hall. But she stopped when she heard a single bark of a laugh echo through the room. She looked back around and glared daggers at Takano as he smiled coldly.

"What? So you're going to disown him just because he didn't turn out the way you wanted?" The tall man spoke, crossing his arms across his chest and arching his neck. "If you ask me that's a poor reason to stop loving a child you gave birth to."

For the first time since his family came in, Ritsu lifted his eyes. The weeping emerald orbs took in Takano's determined gaze, and his thin lips parted in shock.

_SLAP!_

The hollow sound rang through the room as Maiko's hand flew out and hit Takano straight across the cheek. The tall man blinked once but remained impassive as the woman stormed out, throwing the door open with a loud slam.

"Let's go An-chan!" She barked.

The blonde girl cast one last look at Ritsu, but quickly hurried out after her. Only Ryoichi remained, and his brown eyes glanced at the ajar door with an expression that was hard to read.

The quietly weeping Ritsu hung his head again as he caught his father's gaze, and he brought a hand up to sweep away a few of his fallen tears.

Ryoichi silently walked forward and stood beside the bed, patiently waiting for his son to look at him. But after almost a minute, he spoke in a calm voice.

"Ritsu…son, look at me."

Very slowly, the brunette's red-rimmed eyes lifted and took in the impassive face of his father. But just as quickly as they rose, they lowered.

"…Are you disappointed in me dad?" Ritsu murmured, nearly choking out his words. He kept his eyes fixed on his fisted hands, waiting in terror for the reply.

"Why would I be?"

Two more pools of salt water fell from Ritsu's eyes as they widened in shock. He glanced back up at his father and bit back another sob as he saw Ryoichi give him a small smile. The brunette wiped back more split tears, and the eldest Onodera knelt down next to the bedside, setting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Ritsu, you've grown into a fine young man. I know that you're not ready to believe this yet, but you could never disappoint me…And remember, no matter what happens with our family, you are still my son, and I am still your father."

This time the cry was too big for Ritsu to hold back. He let several sobs, still franticly trying to brush aside his falling tears.

"…What…about…m—mom?" He choked out.

Ryoichi's face fell and he sighed heavily.

"I know you know that your mother is not a bad person Ritsu. But…she is one to not change her mind about things…I'll try and talk to her."

Onodera's father finally stood, giving his son a pat on the back.

"I'll call you tomorrow. Take care son."

"…Bye dad." Ritsu replied quietly, pressing the fabric of the sheets to his dripping eyes.

After Ryoichi had taken his leave, the floodgates that Ritsu held burst and his tears began to fall afresh. The broken man held his head in his hands and wept violently, his shoulders quivering from the heavy burden he bore.

But a different sort of cry flew past his lips as he felt himself being engulfed by a pair of strong arms. Takano sat down next to the brunette and embraced him, his lips planting a chaste kiss on Ritsu's temple.

Onodera was far too overwhelmed by what had happened to even think about pushing the man away, and at the moment Ritsu desperately needed something (or someone) to cling to.

So he found his own arms circling around to hold Takano's strong back.

The dark haired man didn't say a word as Onodera hugged him and wept on his shoulder for nearly an hour.

But like all things, there was an end to the drowning sadness. Eventually Ritsu wiped away the last of his tears, but out of exhaustion he continued to rest the back of his head on Takano's shoulder. The taller man wrapped his arms around Ritsu, his chin resting on the chestnut head and his hands rubbing soothing circles around the enlarged stomach.

The two sat in silence for an indefinite amount of time, so long that Takano was surprised that Onodera wasn't pulling away.

But eventually, the shaken brunette found his voice.

"…I knew this would happen."

"Hmm?" Takano grunted.

"I—I knew that she would disown me someday….if not for this, then for something else. I think that deep down she started to realize that she never wanted me as her son."

Takano swallowed hard at the words, feeling his heart moving and shifting. He planted another light kiss in the nest of brown hair.

"…I'm sorry."

Onodera didn't respond and Takano inwardly sighed. They both knew that Takano was apologizing for more than the state of Ritsu's family relations, but neither could think of a suitable reply.

Half of Takano actually expected Ritsu to turn on him. To angrily shout that this was all his fault and if they hadn't fucked, Onodera would still have well-connected and rich family and his life wouldn't be in shambles.

Takano almost wanted Ritsu to yell at him and blame him for everything. Because Takano knew that even though Ritsu had ceased crying, that he was still in unimaginable pain. And if he rationalized things in favor of blaming Takano, at the very least he would be releasing some of the pain.

But Onodera did no such thing. The brunette just continued to lie in the other man's arms, finally drifting off into a foggy sleep.

Takano's amber eyes softened as he felt the shallow, sleepy breaths of the smaller man, and he brought tender fingers up to brush away strands of auburn hair.

Very gently Takano brought his cheek down to Ritsu's and sighed in contentment of the wonderfully warm skin, softly rubbing at the spot as he felt sorrow bubble up inside his chest and begin to overflow.

"Ritsu…Ritsu I love you…I love—you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you all so much for the great feedback! ^_^ You make an MPREG writer so very very happy!**

**Special cameo in this chapter ;) can you guess who? **

**TBF101**

**And to my lovely Cerberus, hope you continue to enjoy this flu as much as I enjoy yours :)  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Lifted Burdens<strong>

Hisashi's stone blue eyes glanced out the window as a ray of sunlight fell on his face. The blonde looked briefly through the glass at the landscape of Tokyo before going back to his sketchbook, lazily dragging his pen over the crisp paper.

A soft murmur caught his ear and Hisashi half smiled as he looked at Yuu, who had his head and arms resting on the edge of the hospital bed, his other half sitting in a chair. The brunette settled further into the mattress, light snores coming from his form as he peacefully slept. Hisashi snuggled deeper into his own spot as he continue to draw to the soundtrack of Yuu's steady breathing.

The blonde didn't mind at all that it was two in the afternoon and his boyfriend was out cold. Over the past couple days they had spent in the hospital, Yuu had slept almost constantly, dozing off into catnaps at random intervals, and Hisashi was happy to let him drift off. Yuu had overworked himself for nearly two and a half months and had neglected his own health almost to the point of exhaustion. Which was precisely why Renaka had insisted that Yuu be with Hisashi at the hospital while she went to Marukawa to deal with Ijuuin.

Both men were grateful for all of the mangaka's help. In fact, they were starting to bash their heads against the wall for not calling her sooner.

The couple had officially reported to Marukawa that Hisashi had caught the uke flu yesterday, and needless to say, things went infinitely smoother with Renaka's connections to the Isaka family. So smooth in fact, that it was highly unlikely that Hisashi or Yuu would be fired for missing work. In addition, because of the privacy policy, the information would be restricted to only the director, Kirishima, and Ijuuin, which was of equal relief. (Even though they were fairly certain that if their female coworkers found out they would receive dozens of gift baskets). Renaka was even going to talk (and threaten if need be) to Ijuuin and get Yuu set on some projects he could work on from home.

And in regards to these new developments, both Hisashi and Yuu found loads that they weren't even aware of taken from their minds. Other couples at the company had not been so lucky.

At the rising of the uke flu pandemic, Marukawa had placed new policies in order to deal with the crisis. Male workers who had "caught" (as the term came to be known) and became pregnant were required to formally tell the company if they wanted to receive any time off or benefits. Not to mention it was nearly impossible for pregnant ukes to maintain their rigorous work schedules while dealing with months and months of morning sickness.

However, for those who did tell, it wasn't all fun and sunshine. The last thing the company wanted was for half their staff to be out on paternity leave, and to avoid having to endorse all that time off, higher ups began digging into the employment records to find any excuse to fire recipients of the flu. And since workers were fired for reasons of employment (however scant they were) rather than their pregnancy, they had no possible way of retaliating.

All of this drama was the reason that Yuu and Hisashi had kept things on the down low the past three months. And the weight of their situation had pushed and ground heavily on their minds.

But now, the two were finally starting to find relief from trial, even though it had been instigated by Hisashi's attempted suicide. The two had reached the darkest point of their relationship and had struggled, but were now starting to see dawn follow the moonless night.

An unbidden yawn rose in Hisashi's chest and he exhaled heavily, his eyelids beginning to droop. He set his sketchbook on the night table and rolled onto his side, resting his cheek against the pillow. Hisashi snuggled further into the hoodie he was wearing, a blue one with stripes that Yuu had given him for his last birthday. He wore it a lot so he'd had Renaka bring it from Yuu's house. He always had a soft spot for comfy sweatshirts, and he liked that it faintly smelled of Yuu's natural muskiness.

Hisashi's drowsy eyes drifted over and stared at the sleeping face of his boyfriend, silently reaching his pale fingertips to brush the back of Yuu's hand.

The blonde yawned again and closed his eyes as a wave of fatigue washed over him. He settled into the hospital bed, cradling his stitched arm into his chest and letting his mind drift off.

Hisashi's lips tightened irksomely and he sighed. If it wasn't this darn baby bump making him fall asleep half the day it was his new regiment of pills.

Despite the circumstances of how he'd come to the hospital, Hisashi had to admit it was doing wonders for his health. Three days and a plethora of IVs and nausea meds (not to mention Renaka's incredibly persuasive methods of getting him to eat) and Hisashi felt better than he had in weeks. But in spite of the improvement, he still wasn't up to a hundred percent.

The morning after he'd come to the hospital, at Renaka's bidding Hisashi had seen the on staff psychiatrist about getting on some anti-depressants. He had been put on a trial medication for a couple of weeks to see if it would help, but at the moment all it was doing was making him fall asleep.

But even in spite of this, Hisashi's mind was much calmer now that he and Yuu were together and the brunette was getting some much needed rest. It had killed Hisashi inside to see Yuu go through such lengths to carry the blonde through these past few months. Yuu was strong and he hadn't given up, but Hisashi had seen cracks forming from the incomparable strain. It was even worse because Yuu never complained about it, he just silently fought the battle on his own.

Hisashi's lips curled in his half unconscious state, and his hand inched forward to find his partner's.

The blonde had thought this countless time over the course of their relationship, but now every fiber and cell of Hisashi knew one thing was certain in the tossing ocean of their life.

He was so unbelievably lucky to have Yuu…

"Araki-san?"

The blonde's groggy eyes fluttered open. He rolled onto his back and glanced at the door, where one of his nurses was peaking in.

"Yeah?" He replied, suppressing a yawn and sitting back up. Yuu's eyes opened and he sat up as well, stretching the kinks out of his lower back from sleeping so awkwardly.

"There's a doctor here that would like to speak with you." The nurse said. "Should I ask him to come back later?"

"No, it's alright." Hisashi murmured, combing back a stray blonde curl. The nurse ducked back out into the hall, while Yuu lengthened out his arms and let out a howling yawn.

"How long was I out?" He grunted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Couple hours." Hisashi replied.

Yuu's eyebrows rose.

"That long?"

Hisashi nodded. Yuu smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry." He murmured, shifting over to sit on the bed.

Hisashi smiled back at him.

"Don't worry about it. You could use the Zs."

Yuu continued to smile, exhaling another post nap yawn.

"Mmph!"

Yuu raised an eyebrow as the blonde let out an uncharacteristic grunt and put both hands on his stomach.

"What's wrong?" Yuu asked before suddenly grimacing in disgust. "You're not going to throw up are you?"

"No… jerk face." Hisashi muttered, rubbing his hand over his baby bulge.

Yuu's eyes widened.

"Is it moving?" He asked, leaning closer towards the blonde.

"I think so," Hisashi replied. "It just felt like a twitch. Like a butterfly."

"Let me feel." Yuu said, pulling back the covers.

"It's gone now." Hisashi replied as Yuu pulled up his blue striped hoodie and placed a warm hand on his stomach.

Yuu stayed still for a moment, but when no movement came he took his hand away. He let out a quiet chuckle.

"He must be shy."

Hisashi snorted, his lips curling into a smile. Both of their heads turned as they heard a quiet knock on the door again.

"Come in." Hisashi called.

Yuu glanced in the direction of door, and his eyes brows rose a little as an incredibly tall, well built doctor entered. His head was topped with a nest of raven hair and contrasted with the bright, happy glow of the man's face. Cobalt blue eyes looked over at the two occupants and the doctor gave them a wide, sincere smile.

"Hello, I'm doctor Kusama Nowaki. Are you Araki Hisashi-san?"

"Yes." Hisashi replied slowly, also reeling from the enormity of the man's height. "The nurse said you wanted to see me?"

Kusama nodded.

"Yes, well—more like meet you. You see Araki-san, I normally work in the pediatric ER, but I heard from Gensei-sensei that there were a couple of uke flu recipients here so I wanted to drop by."

Yuu couldn't help but darken his eyes when he heard that Kusama was interested in Hisashi's pregnancy. Although doctor Gensei had done a wonderful job with Hisashi and their baby's care, he'd heard rumors that others weren't so friendly. And yet at the sight of the pediatrician's broad smile, Yuu felt his guard recede.

"You said there's another one here? In the psyche ward?" Hisashi asked, cocking his head.

"No," Kusama replied. "The other one is on one of the main floors. I'm planning on visiting him next."

"I see." Hisashi replied quietly, still a bit confused as to why this particular doctor was taking an interest in the bed ridden and knocked up.

"But anyways," The doctor smiled. "Like I said, I wanted to come down here and talk with you personally. Your nurse informed me of your circumstances…"

Yuu saw Hisashi unconsciously shift his right arm, and he felt his guard rise.

"Kusama-sensei," Yuu interrupted. "I don't mean to be rude in the least, but what exactly is your business here?"

The tall raven-haired man wasn't at all fazed by Yuu's upfrontness. He simply continued to smile and reached an arm back to completely shut the door.

"Well, you see Araki-san." Kusama murmured. "What I really wanted was to meet a fellow carrier and see if there was anything I could do that the other doctors can't."

Yuu and Hisashi's eyes simultaneously went wide as Jupiter.

"Uh er—…fellow carrier?" Hisashi stammered.

Kusama nodded and lifted up his scrubs. Right in the center of the lean, muscled belly was a slight bump that could almost have been mistaken for a few too many slices of cake.

"I'm nearly through my first trimester." Kusama said almost proudly, pulling his smock back down. "How about you?"

"Uh…the same." Hisashi answered. "Almost eleven weeks…"

"Are you still having morning sickness?" Kusama asked.

"A little. But the nausea meds help. It was worse the first two months."

"Same with me." The doctor smiled. "Are you making sure to get enough fluids?"

"Um Sensei," Yuu cut in again, slightly shaking his head. "Sorry again for seeming rude but if you don't mind me asking…how on earth did you get…pregnant? I mean…you're rather tall."

"Height rule…" The doctor murmured to himself. "Well er…my apologies, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh sorry," Hisashi replied. "This Yanase Yuu. He's my…boyfriend." The blonde said, finding it a little odd to say it out loud, even though the two were quite open about their relationship (except at work).

"Well Yanase-san," Kusama began musingly. "I'm what doctors—well, those we specialize in the flu—like to call a 'semuke.' Meaning I'm a bit of a cross between the contrasting norm of gay couples."

Yuu nodded slowly.

"I see. So seme AND uke?"

Kusama chuckled.

"Yes, though I assure you, my Hiro—er my PARTNER is normally very much uke. He's adorable."

A few seconds of awkward silence followed before Yuu saw Hisashi look up with a bit of interest.

"Have we…met before?" Hisashi asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I think I've seen you somewhere."

The doctor mused as well.

"Hmm. I do remember you two as well. But where was it…"

Yuu snapped his fingers.

"The Marukawa Author's Party. You were there with Usami Akihiko and another author."

Kusama's eyes widened.

"That's right! I saw you two with Rurouri Renaka."

"Yeah," Hisashi smiled. "Now I remember."

"So, you two know her?" Kusama asked excitedly. "I'm a big fan of her work."

Hisashi nodded.

"She's kind of my adoptive mother. I was a student of hers so we've known each other for a long time."

"Wow, that's amazing." Kusama smiled elatedly. Again Yuu was struck by just how much warmth the man's presence seemed to give off, and he saw Hisashi feel it too. The blonde sat up, resting his elbows on his bent knees and looking at the doctor.

"So…how was your morning sickness?"

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><p>A couple hours later, doctor Kusama Nowaki took his leave with a parting smile. Instead of going back to sleep, Hisashi grabbed his sketchbook and resumed drawing, his eyes having gained back a bit of spark.<p>

Yuu got up from the bed and paced over to the window, glancing at the cityscape with slightly curled lips. As suspicious as he had been about the tall doctor, the man had actually been extremely helpful once they had gotten the awkward 411 out of the way. Yuu had realized earlier that although they knew (or at least knew of) other gay couples that Hisashi had never gotten the chance to actually talk with another flu victim. They had known of support groups but neither had the time or energy, plus they hadn't wanted to go alone.

But the bright faced doctor had been more than happy to share his story with Hisashi, and the blonde likewise. Yuu had actually been surprised that the two had talked so long as normally Hisashi was drained by lengthy conversations (being the antisocial introvert he was).

And words couldn't describe at how relieved and thrilled Yuu was to see his boyfriend beginning to heal. His crimson eyes drifted back over to the sketching blonde, and Yuu felt his gaze soften adoringly.

He was so happy to have Hisashi…

Yuu went back over to his chair and sat down, still processing all that the doctor had disclosed (with their promise of secrecy of course as the information of semukes hadn't officially been released to the public).

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and Yuu raised an eyebrow, turning to Hisashi.

"Hey Sashi," He murmured.

"Hmm?"

"You know if that doctor was pregnant and he's a semuke…that means his partner must've topped him…"

"What's your point?"

Yuu looked at Hisashi with slightly surprised eyes.

"Can you imagine the monster that topped THAT?"

Hisashi's eyes widened as well and his hand stilled.

"God…He must a demon…"

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><p>Nostalgia next! Thanks for reading! I love your reviews so so much! :D<p>

And like I said before, if you haven't read the original egoist uke flu by Cerberus Revised...you are probably very confused and curious so you'll go read it now out of sheer shock right this minute.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry this update took awhile, but I thank you all for your wonderful reviews! :) This story has topped as my most popular for the month of January with over 5,000 hits! Thank you all so much for your support of the flu ^_^

Next chapter out soon, as well as replies to some of your questions.

Kisses!

**TBF101**

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: Times of Conflict<strong>

"Are you done Onodera?" Takano asked, glancing dryly at brunette's food tray. Onodera nodded, giving it a light shove and settling back into his bed.

The taller man eyed the half eaten food soberly, but said nothing as he picked it up and set it aside. His expression did not change as he watched Onodera shift onto his side and close his eyes for another nap, tucking his wrists into his chest.

Takano gave a light sigh, sinking back into his recliner and taking in the face below the mop of chestnut hair. The pallor of the skin was unmarred and peaceful in its mask-like state, and yet Takano couldn't help but frown at the slightest crease in Onodera's brow. Small, and yet pained. Takano gripped the armrests of his chair, a whirlwind of sharp emotions cutting into his heart.

How Takano longed to seize those feline shoulders. How he yearned to press his tongue against those closed lips and ease them open…

How he desired to give Ritsu some form of comfort, some physical gesture of how much he loved him…

Takano quickly averted his eyes and fixed them on the ceiling, the edges of his frown pulling as his jaw clenched. Ever since yesterday, when Onodera's family had came and left, the brunette had barely spoken a word. He'd been lethargic all day, barely eating and dozing off almost every hour. Even worse, Onodera's father had yet to call.

Takano could see Ritsu's depression plain as day, but he had no words with which to comfort him. It frustrated him to the point of anger. He knew the look on Onodera's face so well it hurt.

It had been the expression on his face for many years. Over time, the man was able to ease his lips and eyes out of it, but the memories of past wounds never faded. And now it was like looking in a pool of black glass, but with the mirroring image of Onodera rather than himself.

He couldn't believe that those wounds could hurt so much when it wasn't his body that had been stabbed.

Takano leaned back in the padded chair and closed his eyes, his mind wandering through a foggy maze with no defined exit.

* * *

><p>"Onodera?"<p>

A deep, gentle gruff broke into Ritsu's cocoon of sleep. His eyelids fluttered open and met the face of Takano, who was leaning next to the bed. The brunette blinked a few more times and grunted in response.

"Mmm?"

"It's almost time to eat. Are you hungry?" Takano murmured. Onodera lowered his gaze, shaking his head slightly. But even after he replied, Takano did not move away. The man continued to stare at him, his eyes glossed with a concerned haze. Ritsu looked back just as impassively, not a muscle in his face twitching.

"Do you feel all right?" Takano asked quietly, his warm exhale brushing against the brunette's face.

Onodera swallowed, and slowly opened his lips.

"…I guess."

Takano's lips twitched into a frown, and a slight wrinkle creased in between his eyebrows. Onodera didn't react to their exchange, and he was mildly surprised that Takano didn't either. The two just continued to gaze at each other, invisible tendrils of emotion slipping out and fading away. But slowly, Takano lifted one of his hands. When Ritsu didn't stir, he brought it to the brunette's face and rested the warm palm against his cheek, his fingers smoothing along the subtle cheekbone. The supple fingers traveled upward and combed back a section of his fine-stranded bangs, and Takano lifted his other hand to cup the narrow jaw.

Onodera's eyes were blank, and he said nothing as Takano continued to stroke his face. If he thought a protest, he did not voice it or pull away. He just didn't have the energy.

Onodera was drained in every sense of the word, and he was tired. Tired of rushing. Tiring of yelling. Tired of working.

Tired of living.

After yesterday, Ritsu had seen everything he'd ever worked for broken by his own two hands. His mother's approval, his father's presence and quiet encouragement, and the chance to show them both that he was worthy to work with the best literature of the country.

Now he had nothing left. No family, no friends, and a career in shambles.

And the weight of that had been a block of cement sinking lower and lower into his chest.

He could barely even feel the presence of the babies in his stomach… the only ties to the world he had left.

Even as Takano wordlessly caressed his face, Ritsu had never felt more alone in his entire life.

The tinniest pool of moisture came to his eyes as he felt hopelessness descend on him and cover his eyes with black wings, and depression ate away at his mind and body.

Onodera's eyelids lowered and he began to sink deeper into the abyss…

"Ritsu?"

His eyes slowly reopened and he looked wearily at Takano, who still held his head between his large hands. Without letting go, Takano shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, putting their bodies closer together. The man's face was now colored with blatant worry and sorrow, but he managed to pull his lips into a small smile.

"Ritsu, I love you." He murmured, leaning forward and wrapping his muscled arms around the brunette's shoulders.

A small dam inside Onodera began to leak and he blinked back a bit more moisture as the weight on his heart deepened. He was so tired he couldn't even register Takano's words, but he had the feeling that anything the man said would have provoked the same flow of tears.

Takano released a portion of his embrace, putting his face back in front of the brunette's. He cupped Ritsu's jaw again and moved closer, his lips almost brushing the smaller man's.

A tiny spark flared amidst the black melancholy as Onodera tasted Takano's breath on his tongue, but his face stayed static as Takano finally kissed him. The man's warm lips moved rhythmically, and his tongue slid comfortably into Ritsu's mouth.

The brunette was limp in Takano's arms as he was kissed, but a slight grunt sounded from inside his throat as his head was tilted further back. And a faint glow was ignited from the heated mouth of the other man.

After a few minutes, Takano pulled back, but kept a hand on Ritsu's cheek. Onodera sat there in silent shock, the taste of Takano still lingering on his tongue. He faintly felt emotion stirring inside his head, and yet he couldn't figure out what exactly it was that he was feeling. Not quite pain…and not quite love. He couldn't pinpoint the emotion, and yet there was a certain sensitivity there, quietly pacing circles around his brain…

The two men looked up as a quiet rapping caught their attention.

"Onodera-san?" A nurse called as she opened the door.

"Yes?" Takano replied for him, lengthening out his legs and standing up.

"There's a doctor hear that would like to see you for a few minutes. Are you feeling up to it?"

Takano's brow furrowed.

"Which doctor?" He asked, remembering that Gensei had already made rounds this morning.

"His name is Kusama-sensei," The nurse clarified. "He's from a different ward—pediatrics actually—but he was wondering if it was alright if he had a word."

"A word about what?"

"Onodera-san's condition. The fact that he is a carrier and recipient of the MP3REG36 virus and all."

"Why would he want to talk about that?" Takano inquired coldly.

"I'm not exactly sure." The nurse replied patiently. "But he is a wonderful doctor and I'm sure Onodera-san would benefit from whatever insight he has to offer."

Takano's eyes hardened slightly at the thought of a complete stranger intruding on Onodera. The brunette was under enough stress as it was, not to mention the fact that some doctors saw the flu akin to the black plague.

But then again, doctors were doctors after all, and one probably wouldn't take the time to coming all the way over if there wasn't a good reason. As a man in a business where time was also crucial, he knew that hospitals were always fighting against the clock and wasting time was not optional.

"Are you alright with that?" Takano asked, turning to Onodera. The brunette bumped his shoulders up in a half shrug, but didn't reply verbally.

"Okay." Takano replied to the nurse, easing back into his recliner. "Tell him to come on in."

"Thank you." The nurse bowed, ducking back out the door. A few seconds later, a quiet knock sounded and it reopened, revealing a man as tall and dark-haired as Takano himself. But unlike Takano, this man's face seemed to foster a permanent smile. Onodera glanced up as the doctor entered and shut the door.

"Hello Onodera-san," The man spoke warmly. "I'm Kusama Nowaki. It's very nice to meet you."

Kusama's dark blue eyes drifted over to Takano, who was still scrutinizing the new arrival.

"It is nice to meet you as well." Kusama smiled, dipping his chin to Takano. "Might I inquire as to your name?"

"Takano Masamune." He replied. "…I'm the father."

"I see." Kusama said before turning back to Onodera, who was staring vapidly at his lap.

"Well then," The doctor continued. "I'm sorry but I can't stay long, so I will get right to the point. I heard from the nurse that you are carrying twins?"

Onodera's green eyes slightly rose and he nodded. Kusama smiled elatedly.

"That's wonderful news. And I say that…because I am in the same boat."

Takano's lower lip dropped.

"You're WHAT?"

The doctor lifted up his hospital smock, revealing a slight, but defined bulge in his abdomen. Takano's mouth slipped lower and even Onodera's eyes widened.

Doctor Kusama proceeded to tell them about his condition as a semuke, how the unusual dynamics worked, and why he wanted to help other flu patients who were struggling with their own pregnancies. In light of this information, Takano found some of his initial caution lifted. After asking a few minor questions, he proceeded to sit back, thinking that maybe this visit with another flu victim could help to soothe some of Ritsu's depression.

Onodera had also relaxed a bit under the doctor's warm demeanor, but he still talked very little as Kusama visited with him.

"So, you are about four months now Onodera-san?" Kusama asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Yeah. Thirteen weeks." The brunette answered succinctly.

"Did you have a lot of problems the first two months? Morning sickness? Nausea?"

He shrugged.

"A bit. Not as bad as I've heard."

Kusama nodded and smiled.

"That's good. I actually just finished talking with another flu victim and he had a terrible time with morning sickness. He lost a lot of weight because he couldn't eat. I had a bit of a hard time too. You're lucky."

"I guess."

Kusama smiled patiently in spite of Onodera's monotone replies and apparent disinterest.

"My partner had a bit of trouble coping though, considering no one thought semes could get pregnant." Kusama half laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.

Takano smiled slightly.

"I can see why."

"Not to mention that everyone originally thought HE was the one who was pregnant." Kusama smiled wider. "But he's not exactly a people person in general, so I can see why people assumed that."

Takano chuckled.

"Lord knows what his parents are going to think when they find out it's me." Kusama grinned, patting his belly as he laughed quietly.

At the mention of this particular topic, Onodera looked up.

"Do they know?"

Takano's smiled faded and he inched closer in his seat.

"That we are having twins? Yes." Kusama enlightened. "Though they still think it's my partner who is carrying them."

"If you don't mind me asking…his parents…what did they do when they found out?" Onodera asked, his face an emotionless mask.

Kusama's brow creased.

"Well, his mother was quite thrilled, which came as a surprise to us…however, my partner and his father are not exactly on speaking terms, especially in light of this. I don't have biological parents, so its rather unfortunate things had to be this way for us, though I suppose it wasn't entirely unexpected."

Onodera's eyes drifted back down to his lap, and Takano felt a sharp pain spark through his chest.

"I see." Onodera said quietly. "That reaction seems to be a common theme…"

Kusama's brow lifted in concern as he saw Onodera's posture change for the negative, but he didn't comment.

"I appreciate you stopping by," Onodera murmured. "But I'm a little tired at the moment…"

Kusama nodded in understanding.

"I see. I need to get going anyways so I will let you get some rest. Though let me say it was a genuine pleasure meeting you Onodera-san." Kusama spoke, dipping his chin and smiling.

"Thank you." Ritsu replied, shifting onto his side and settling his head onto his pillow to doze off again.

"I can show you out." Takano said, standing up and heading out behind the doctor. Once they were out in the hall, Takano shut the door behind them.

"Is there something you needed Takano-san?" Kusama said curiously.

"Somewhat." The man replied.

Kusama nodded.

"I take it Onodera-san has had a tough time coping with his condition?"

Takano affirmed soberly.

"He was correct in mentioning that his morning sickness wasn't that prominent, however he has run several high fevers and was anemic his first month."

Kusama nodded.

"I see. I can definitely talk to Gensei-sensei about that."

Takano grunted in response.

"Tell me," Kusama murmured. "That is, if you don't mind, how has his emotional state been?"

Takano sighed.

"Awful. He's always been sort of a moody person by nature, but this pregnancy has almost broken him in that sense. Not to mention, his family found out yesterday…and as you can guess, they didn't take the news well."

Kusama's brow creased painfully.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Takano nodded.

"And ever since then, he's been even worse off. I…I honestly don't know what to do anymore."

The two men said nothing for a few seconds, but Kusama finally replied.

"Takano-san, I can't really vouch for what your partner—er Onodera-san is feeling, but I can see the sort of thing male pregnancy is causing. And right now, I think the best thing you can do for him is to be by his side and give him support in everything he decides to do. I think right now, he feels more alone than anything."

Takano's lips twitched soberly.

"But Kusama-sensei," He murmured lowly. "What would you do if you didn't want your partner to even be with you…let alone comfort you…"

Kusama's lower lip drooped a bit and Takano could tell the doctor was stunned by the question. The man thought with some difficulty for almost a minute, before speaking with caution.

"Takano-san… there's one thing I can tell you, and it's that in times of conflict, the heart can change, or it can reinforce a strong conviction in what it already feels. I don't know what decisions Onodera-san has made for himself, but I can say that pain is a key that can be used to help a heart heal."

Takano stared in quiet admiration at the man's words for a brief moment before finally nodding.

"Thank you sensei."

Kusama smiled.

"You are welcome Takano-san." He replied, reaching into the pocket of his long white coat. "Here's my card. If you ever need anything, give me a call."

A quiet ringing suddenly came from Takano's back pocket and the two men silently excused themselves. Takano pulled out his cell phone as he took a few steps down the hall, flipping it open without even glancing at the number.

"Takano." He answered.

"Masamune? Are you there?"

Takano's eyes widened in complete shock and he nearly dropped his phone.

"…Mom?"

* * *

><p>Next chapter will be Nostalgia as well :)<p>

Thank you again for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

****Oh thank the fucking lord! Would've had this posted hours ago but for some reason my browser wouldn't let me log in. T_T oh god it was so depressing, a whole chapter finished with no one to read...

Then I got the fucking obvious idea to switch to a different computer...heheh...

Anyways, thank you for your patience and your wonderful reviews :) new chapter is underway and will be up soon.

Kisses!

TBF101

P.s. I know the angst is a lot, but there will be some nice bright spots for those who decide to stick with us :)

*bows *

Thank you for reading ^_^

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: Home is Family I<strong>

"Masamune, are you there? Speak up." Takano Sunako called from the speaker of the cell phone.

After recovering from his initial shock that his absentee mother was actually speaking to him, Takano's brow immediately creased.

"What do you want?" He muttered.

"Watch your tone Masamune." Sunako snapped.

"I'll use whatever tone I see fit." Takano snarled just as sharply.

Sunako sighed irritably.

"Look, I don't have time to argue with you."

Takano could've laughed. How very very like her. She'd barely had the time of day for her son his entire life.

"Then why did you call?" He grunted back, already wishing he'd hung up.

"Your great-uncle died yesterday." She replied simply.

"I see." He replied. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, he was quite old." Sunako replied quietly. "But anyways, I am in charge of overseeing the division of his estate as stated in his last will and testimony—"

"MOM, get to the point."

"Fine." She snarled. "He left you a few items in his will, I think it's a couple of books or something. The entire family is meeting tomorrow to claim their bequeathments. Two O'clock at my legal office."

"I can't make it."

"And why not?" She snorted.

Takano threw up a hand in disbelief.

"Because I AM TIED UP AT THE HOSPITAL! Now if you're done I'm hanging up—"

"DON'T MAKE SUCH OBVIOUS EXCUSES MASAMUNE!" Sunako yelled back. "You expect me to believe that!"

Takano clenched his jaw.

"Well it's true! I've spent the last four days here at Tokyo Central. Goodbye—"

"Then what exactly are you in the hospital for!"

"It's not me! It's a friend and I can't leave him—"

"Even for your family? You sure have convenient priorities Masamune—"

"I don't give a damn about what you think!" Takano bellowed, finally blowing his lid and snapping his phone shut on his mother's reply. He whirled around and slammed his fist into the wall, his breaths a strangled gasping. He heard a small clatter and glanced down to see a few pieces of his cell phone laying in a broken heap.

"Shit…" He muttered under his breath, bending down to pick up the fragments of his phone. He reopened his broken cell and tried hitting a button, swearing again when it didn't work. Takano sighed, shoving the pieces into his jacket pocket and leaning against the wall where he'd made a slight dent. He brought a hand up, pinching the bridge of his nose as a flood of raw anger roared behind his eyes.

* * *

><p>Takano reached up and pulled down the blinds, blocking the darkening sky from sight. He flicked on nearby light, illuminating the hospital room with a softer glow. It was still very early in the evening, but Takano felt somewhat drained. He eased back into his recliner, propping his feet up and staring at the television without the slightest bit of interest.<p>

On the other hand, having slept almost the entire day, Onodera was wide awake, sitting up with his folded arms hugging his knees. The two hadn't spoken much today, each man choosing to stay within the confines of their thoughts. Even still, both of them picked up on unspoken vibes. Takano had perceived a slight change in the brunette's behavior since he'd cried earlier that afternoon. Onodera was no longer in a state of vapid depression, but rather an acute sort of restlessness. Even now as he watched the screen, he held the TV remote in his hands, changing the channel frequently and shifting around in his bed. Takano didn't quite know what to make of it, but he had larger shadows that occupied his mind.

Onodera had noticed a few oddities about the other man as well, like the fact that the man had spent a considerable amount of time away from the room after doctor Kusama left. And upon his return, the man had seemed extremely stressed, his lips tightened in bitter distaste. Onodera had no clue why the man was so tense, but like Takano, he had his own problems to worry about.

Even still, both men in the room were entirely aware that they were extremely uncomfortable, though neither of them chose to speak of it.

They continued to watch the TV in silence, and after awhile Takano rose stiffly from his chair.

"Grabbin' a coffee." He muttered, heading out the door. The dark haired man wandered down the hall to the vending machines, taking much longer than usual to make his selection. Takano ran a hand through his thick hair, realizing how utterly distracted he was. Finally he made his choice and retreated to go back down the hall, rubbing one of his eyes drearily.

"Masamune!"

Takano's eyes shot up as he heard an all too familiar voice ring from down the hall, and his brow creased in anger as he saw who it was. Takano Sunako's expensive heels clacked down the hall as she approached, her face as steely and unreadable as it always was.

Takano did not make a move to walk towards her, choosing to let her click her way down to him. His eyes narrowed as she finally stood in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, crossing his arms across his chest.

Sunako's eyes narrowed in equal anger.

"Well seeing as how you've put your 'friend' as a higher priority than family affairs, I decided to come see your claim for myself."

Takano could've thrown up at the way his mother acted. She always treated everything like one of her legal cases, hunting and stalking every possible lead like a lurking jaguar. It made him sick to his stomach that she feigned interest when she was really just trying to satisfy her own ego.

Masamune scoffed, then brushed past her in a huff.

"You don't need to be here. Leave."

"Don't dare talk to me like that Masamune!" She snarled, skulking behind him.

"Why did you even come here?" Takano all but yelled, still storming through the hall. "I have a sick friend to look after and the last thing he needs is YOU being here!"

"What's so important about this friend that you need to ignore your duty to your family—"

"WE'RE NOT A FAMILY!" Takano whirled around and screamed. "WE'VE NEVER BEEN A FAMILY! SO DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PRETEND THAT WE ARE! NOW GET OUT!"

His mother was just about to bark a retort when she suddenly started in surprise. Takano's brow furrowed and he turned around, only to have his jaw clench dangerously as he saw yet another person walk towards them. Masamune jerked back to his mother, his gaze absolutely furious.

"What on earth is HE doing here?" He raged.

"I don't know." Sunako scoffed. "I called him but I didn't tell him to come."

"Why did you call him?" Takano yelled. "Why HIM?"

"Sunako. Masamune!" The man called as he approached.

Takano's tiger eyes narrowed dangerously as Saga Ranmaru looked from his ex-wife to his son.

"What are you two doing?" He asked mildly, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you here Ranmaru?" Sunako rolled her eyes. Her ex husband glowered.

"I could ask you the same thing. Considering you took the time to call me, it sounded like this was serious."

"Well it's not!" Masamune interrupted. "Both of you shouldn't be here."

Ranmaru's eyes narrowed.

"Don't talk to us like that Masamune."

"Why?" He laughed bitterly. "Because you're my 'parents?'"

"You're damn right!" Ranmaru barked back. "Now what is this all about?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Uh, excuse me Takano-san." A nurse said as she walked hesitantly over to the feuding group.

"Yes?" Masamune replied, attempting to take some of the growl out of his voice but failing miserably.

"Gensei-sensei was wondering if we could have Onodera-san get another ultrasound tomorrow, just to make sure everything is okay with him."

A brick dropped onto Takano's head as he felt the shock and horror that was undoubtedly radiating from his parents at his spontaneous outing. Swallowing back his anger, he nodded to the nurse.

"Yes, he'll probably be okay with that…"

"Thank you." The nurse replied, scurrying away from the tension as respectfully as possible.

Masamune pivoted back towards his parents, who were both staring at him with darkened eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

Man, something is really up with this site. Both me and Don't Preach had trouble posting tonight.

So let's complain about it! XO waaaahh!

**Anyways, thank you all for the wonderful reviews and subscriptions yet again :) You all are the peaches in my cobbler. **

**Love you all! Thanks for reading!**

**TBF101**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen: Home is Family II<strong>

"Oh my god…" Sunako murmured, wearily shaking her head.

"Oh my god is right!" Ranmaru barked, staring in disbelief at their son.

Takano eyed them both fearlessly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, I'm gay and my partner caught the uke flu. That's why we're at the hospital." He stated matter-of-factly. "And I don't have time to stick around so I'll take my leave."

Takano pivoted on heel and began to storm back to Onodera's room, but his parents weren't so easily swayed.

"Masamune," Sunako called, heading after him. "Can't we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about!" He yelled back, his fist tightening around his unopened can of coffee.

"Get back here Masamune!" Ranmaru bellowed. "We're not done!"

"I have nothing to say to either of you!" Takano barked, finally reaching Onodera's room and storming in through the entrance.

Onodera jerked as Takano entered and violently slammed the door, his eyes widening at the man's contorted face of anger.

"What's going on?" He spoke warily, sitting up and swinging a leg over the side of the bed.

"Nothing." Takano replied, trying to shove a mask over his fury. Onodera saw through his attempt, and was puzzled and slightly afraid of what had gotten the man so rattled.

But he jumped again when he heard a violent pounding on the door. It swung open and Takano's father entered, which made Masamune furious.

"You have no right to be in here!" He yelled. "Leave!"

"I'm not leaving till you give me an explanation! I'm your father!"

"You're NOT my father! GET OUT!"

Sunako followed in after her ex, still shaking her head in disbelief. However, once she lifted her face, her eyes narrowed at Ranmaru.

"This is all your fault." She accused, crossing her arms across her chest.

"My fault?" Ranmaru barked back. "If I recall, sleeping around comes from your side of the family!"

Sunako bristled.

"At least I actually cared about working things out! You never gave a damn about Masamune or me! All you ever wanted was your booze!"

"Both of you LEAVE!" Takano tried to yell over their bickering, but their attentions were no longer on him. The man gritted his teeth and gripped a handful of his hair, almost feeling tears surface to his eyes as his head filled with anger, stress, and bitter memories. He forced himself to jerk his sight over to Onodera, and he felt a portion of guilt added to the compound. The brunette was sitting limply by the side of his bed, staring down at his lap with a quivering lip and flooded eyes. Takano swallowed hard as Onodera caught his gaze and looked up at him with an extremely painful look. The seme was just about to whirl around and demand that his quarreling parents leave, when he heard a small voice.

"Masamune…"

Takano's golden eyes went wide and he stared in shock at Onodera.

"Y—Yes?" He replied, stepping closer to him.

"Can we leave?" Onodera murmured, blinking rapidly.

"You wanna leave?" Takano replied in shock.

"I want to go home. I'm tired of being here." The brunette said, a single tear spilling down his cheek.

Takano stared unmoving for a couple of seconds before a brief flicker of a smile crossed his lips.

"You got it chief." He said with resolve. Without another word, Takano grabbed his jacket off the recliner and dropped it in the brunette's lap. He then put his arms underneath Onodera's arms and knees and picked him up, spinning around and heading towards the door. The movement regained his parents' attention.

"Masamune?" His mother called, tapping after awkwardly in her heels. "What are you doing?"

"Masamune! Get back here!" Ranmaru yelled.

But Takano refused to reply. He stormed through the open door with his brunette bundle and headed down the corridor. A nurse who was stationed at a nearby desk felt her eyes go wide as she saw the scene.

"Onodera-san!" She called, hurried rushing behind them. "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking him home." Takano replied briskly, his followers struggling to keep up as he increased his pace.

"You can't!" The nurse replied franticly.

"CAN and AM."

"But the doctor hasn't discharged him!"

"Well consider him an outgoing patient. Because that's where he's headed."

"Masamune!" Takano's parents called.

"Onodera-san!" The nurse shrieked.

But the two men didn't reply as Takano rounded a corner and raced down the adjoining hall, taking the two of them as far away from the turmoil and the pain as he could.

* * *

><p>Stick around, because the next chapter is back to Yuu and Hisashi and *gasp *...<p>

it's actually going to be funny :O

I know right? Crazy.


	17. Chapter 17

You all are such wonderful readers ^_^

I thank you so much for your reviews, favs, and subscriptions! So here is a funny chapter to lighten a bit of the darkness.

I know the chapters in Nostalgia have been really tense lately, but shortly we are going to switch to lighter chapters of them while the drama in Yuu and Hisashi's lives begins to unfold. Even still, I hope you all continue to enjoy the journey with me :)

Woot,

**TBF101**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen: Coffee Nazis<strong>

"Alright Araki-san," The nurse beamed as she headed out the door. "You let us know if you need anything else!"

"Thank you…" Hisashi murmured back. As soon as the door was shut, the blonde flopped back onto his pillow, groaning under his breath.

Yuu glanced over from his chair and gave a light chuckle.

"Oh don't be such a sourpuss."

Hisashi glared at him irksomely.

"Yuu, that's the fifth different nurse that's come in the last hour. It's clear what's going on!"

"And what is that?" Yuu smiled musingly.

Hisashi groaned again, reaching his hands up and burying them in his curly hair.

"They only love me for my hair! Those goddamned nurses only stop by because they think I'm…cute." He growled, squeezing out the last word with some difficulty.

Yuu struggled to keep his face straight at his boyfriend's hilarious nurse drama.

"Come on. You should feel lucky that you have so many attractive girls waiting on you hand and hair."

"Oh please," Hisashi rolled his eyes, sitting up and crossing his legs over each other. "…There's only one person I want waiting on me." He quietly murmured, glancing over at his boyfriend with a small smile. Yuu smiled warmly back, but his eyebrows creased apologetically.

"Sorry Sashi. I can't trade romantic lines for cups of coffee."

"AUGH!" The blonde groaned, falling forwards onto his face in lamentation. Yuu chuckled again, glancing up as Renaka reentered the room with a couple of drinks. She tossed a cold tea over to Yuu and a water bottle and caffeine free pop to Hisashi, who wrinkled his nose in distaste. Renaka noticed this and sighed.

"It's only six more months Hisashi." She spoke plainly, folding her arms loosely across her chest.

The blonde groaned again, repeatedly flopping his head down on the mattress.

"Please don't remind me…"

Yuu reached a hand over and tousled the mop of curls, still smiling in penitence. Earlier that day after the Kusama doctor had left, the couple had received a visit from Gensei, who had wanted to have Hisashi get an ultrasound. And despite the crabbiness of his uke, Yuu was still on cloud nine. The couple hadn't ever gotten to see an ultrasound together, thanks to Hisashi's sickness and Yuu's hectic work schedule. That afternoon, the brunette had truly gotten to see his baby for the first time, and the sight of the moving (although oddly shaped) embryo on the screen had sent a pool of warm straight to Yuu's heart. His reddish eyes drifted over to one of the night tables where a dark photograph of the ultrasound lay resting on a stack of books, and Yuu felt himself smile again.

"Think of the baby, Sashi." He murmured, his hand running down Hisashi's neck and rubbing across his shoulders.

"I know, I know…" The blonde grumbled back, his voice muffled by the sheets. Not long after the ultrasound, Gensei had informed the couple that now that the blonde was stable, he really needed to end his caffeinist ways as soon as possible. Renaka and Yuu had banned coffee for him as a result, which the blonde was not thrilled about in the least. Forced into a corner, Hisashi had tried to bargain his way to get decaf, but as coffee in general had extreme dehydrating properties, the two weren't having it.

"Well, if that doesn't comfort you," Yuu continued. "Just think about all the other carriers out there who are just as miserable as you are."

Hisashi's head rose, and he glanced at Yuu irksomely.

"Right, that makes me feel LOADS better." The blonde muttered. "And I hate that term."

Yuu cocked his head.

"What? 'Carrier?'"

"Yeah," Hisashi replied distastefully. "It makes me sounds like a shopping cart."

Yuu barked out a laugh.

"Okay Mr. Shopping Cart, what would you rather be called? Sacred gay vessel?"

"Oh blow me." Hisashi rolled his eyes.

"That can be arranged…" Yuu muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? What'd you say Yuu?" Hisashi cocked his head.

"Nothing." The brunette replied.

* * *

><p>Evening drew near, and the sky surrounding the hospital darkened into twilight. After a struggle, the sun had relinquished control of the horizon to the rising power of the moon.<p>

And akin to that scenario, someone was also fighting a losing battle.

"I CAN'T DO IT! I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!" Hisashi cried, holding his head miserable in his hands. "Yuu get me coffee! I need it!"

Yuu sighed, glancing at his boyfriend with an expression of pity and skepticism.

"Calm down." He replied dryly. "You're just going through a bit of a withdrawal. You'll get through it."

"I caaaaaan't!" Hisashi whined with a quivering lip, holding his aching head.

Yuu rolled his eyes, a little full of the blonde's drama.

"You'll be fine Hisashi. If anything it's better that you have to get off it cold turkey. You'll live longer."

Hisashi gritted his teeth, casting a glare at the brunette.

"Terrorist," He growled. "Feudal lord! Nazi!"

"Oh don't be so dramatic." Yuu retorted.

"Auuggghh!" Hisashi moaned piteously. He then uttered a slew of words that Yuu recognized as rough German. Inwardly cursing his boyfriend's bilingual ability, Yuu poked Hisashi in the shoulder.

"Hey," He barked. "That better mean 'I love you,' buster."

Hisashi glared at him and rattled off another unintelligible sentence. Yuu raised an eyebrow, but over on the other side of the room, Renaka set down her book and looked at Hisashi angrily.

"Hisashi!" She said. "It is not polite in the least to tell your loving, doting boyfriend to go stick his head in a toaster. Shame on you."

Hisashi crossed his arms defiantly and wrinkled his nose, ignoring Yuu's unamused glare. But Yuu raised an eyebrow as he thought of something.

"You understand German Renaka-san?"

The mangaka nodded.

"A good amount, considering Hisashi's father speaks in it half the time." She said, turning back to the miserable blonde. "You'll be more comfortable tomorrow Sashi. You get to go back home first thing in the morning."

The mention of his discharge quieted Hisashi for a brief moment, and a slight smile spread over his face. Yuu noticed this and immediately thought of something.

"Speaking of that," Yuu said, leaning down and whispering to Renaka. "One of us should probably go to my house and his apartment and clean it out first. He's got coffee hidden everywhere."

"Good idea," Renaka replied. "I'll go do that tonight—"

"I can HEAR YOU!" Hisashi growled, his smile quickly turning sour. Yuu ignored him.

"Be sure to check his sock drawer." He said to Renaka, who rolled her eyes.

"That's child's play. But don't worry, I'll find all his spots."

Another wave of aches coupled with Hisashi's fury and he moaned again. Renaka sighed at his disheveled state and tried to reason with him, going to sit over on the edge of the bed.

"Sashi, this is only for your benefit. You need to come to terms that you're addicted to coffee."

"No I'm not." Hisashi retorted.

"Yes you are." Renaka replied dryly. "You have a problem."

"I do NOT have a problem!" He shrieked, turning back to his boyfriend. "YUU! I'm pregnant! You can't do this to me!"

"I beg to differ." Yuu replied skeptically. "The baby will thank me when it doesn't come out smelling like java."

The angry caffeine deprived blonde proceeded to throw back his head bellow his most German sounding word yet. Following the outburst, Yuu turned to Renaka for translation.

The woman raised an eyebrow in faint recognition.

"Now I don't know what that word means, but it's the same one Hisashi's father yelled when he fell off the roof last year. So I doubt it's good."

Yuu shook his head, sighing yet again as Hisashi buried his face in a pile of folded blankets. Even still, the thought of them going home tomorrow was a candle of warmth in his chest.

"I'll be right back." He said, heading over and opening the door.

"Where are you going?" Hisashi called.

"Just gonna stretch a bit." The brunette replied.

Hisashi's lips scrunched up in disbelief.

"You're going to get coffee aren't you? You're going to drink it and think of me."

Yuu chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes, Hisashi. Because I am THAT much of a heartless bastard." He replied, giving the blonde a wave and shutting the door behind him.

Once he was out in the hall, Yuu leaned against the door and dissolved into a quiet stream of chuckles. But after the laughter subsided, Yuu was still left with an endearing smile. The brunette glanced at another room across the hall, and his thoughts drifted to the upcoming morning, when Hisashi, their baby, and him would finally be going home.

And that thought made his smile widen in peaceful bliss.

Yuu was briefly pulled out of his reverie as he heard a strong commotion coming from the other end of the hall. Not a second later, Yuu's eyes widened as he saw none other than _Emerald_'s head editor Takano himself, carrying a bundled Onodera and storming down the hall.

As Takano headed down the corridor, he caught Yuu's eye and looked a little surprised himself. But as he was in a hurry, he didn't stop to exchange small talk.

"Oy Yanase!" He called. "Do you know the fastest way to get out of here?"

Sensing immediately that the situation was urgent, Yuu replied quick as a blink.

"The main floor elevator. Two rights and a left."

"Thanks! Owe you one!" Takano replied, disappearing around the next corner.

Yuu watched in silence as the left, and not a minute later a frantic nurse, two orderlies, a woman in heels, and another man raced down the hall in the same direction, calling for the two men to come back.

The brunette quickly moved against the wall, letting the frolicking menagerie race pass him. He continued to glance down the hall after they left, and finally let out a quiet grunt.

Seeing this, it was no wonder the manga departments at Marukawa weren't getting shit done.

Everyone was knocked up.


	18. Chapter 18

**Once again, thank you all so much for reading, subscribing, and reviewing! ^_^ The feedback I've gotten for this story is amazing and you all really make my day!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**TBF101  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen: On the Ground<strong>

An exhausted Takano let out a heavy sigh as he stumbled into his dark apartment, one of Onodera's arms draped over his shoulders. Ritsu echoed his sigh, putting a hand against the wall to steady himself as he extracted himself from the taller man to take off his shoes. Takano slipped out of his own then reached over to flick on a nearby light switch, his baggy eyes blinking as a glow burst forward to illuminate the apartment.

Still using the wall for balance, Onodera shakily walked forward into the living room, practically falling onto the couch as he sat down. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and yet he shivered as a chill ran through his body from the exertion.

Takano mirrored his actions, closing his eyes as he flopped bonelessly next to the brunette, his breath almost a pant.

Getting out of that hospital had been a nightmare, but in the end, they'd done it.

Onodera's eyes drearily slid over to his side, where he saw the other man sitting in an exhausted heap. But in spite of his own fatigue, the brunette's chest was filled with emotion. What he had seen and heard from Takano's family fight had hit him harshly, reopening wounds that hadn't even begun to scab. The brokenness and pain he'd been suppressing had finally burst inside him, and he couldn't handle the magnitude of it. He had to get out. He had to get away from this tension, this hospital, these awful situations of rejection and anger.

And words couldn't describe the relief he felt when Takano had bore him away from it all without a moment's hesitation. The two had run away from fangs of hate and pain on a path that was barely defined.

And that was just a poetic way of saying that it took them forever to get out of that hospital because they kept getting lost. Even worse, Takano's parents and several nurses hadn't given up chase so easily. But in the end, they'd fled successfully, grabbing a taxi and heading back to their apartment building.

However, once they'd gotten there, both men had realized just how pathetic a state they were in. Once outside, Takano had tried to carry Onodera bridal style once more, but his trembling biceps had given out. In return, Onodera had attempted to walk up the outdoor flight of stairs by himself, only to have his legs sink underneath him. Stressed and on the verge of a breakdown, the two men had eventually just put their arms around each other's shoulders and struggled up, leaning on each other's weakened bodies for support.

Even as they lay on couch now, both of them barely had the strength or will to move.

But in spite of that, Onodera felt a quiet fog of calm start to replace the grinding pain of feeling in his head. The two sat in silence for a while, but Onodera's eyes repeatedly returned to the other man's face.

"…Takano-san…"

Takano's nearly closed eyelids flicked open and he turned his head over to Onodera.

"Yes?"

Green eyes full of gratitude and relief stared at him, and Takano felt his heavy heart lift.

"…Thank you…" Onodera said, the slightest curl going into one edge of his mouth.

Despite the burdens that Takano had born this evening (both theoretical and literal), he too pulled his lips into a smile.

"Well, you called me by my name, so it was the least I could do. Hah, if you would've told me to dance the hokey pokey I probably would've done it."

Onodera let out a quiet snort. He averted his eyes, the sincerity of Takano's smile a bit too much for his taxed heart.

"Well…if I had called you 'Takano-san,' then your parents would've looked up too, and then where would we be?"

"Even still…" Takano breathed. "I liked the way it sounded."

Onodera watched with a frozen face as Takano leaned towards him and gently placed a hand on the side of his jaw.

"Onodera…I'm so sorry for what you had to see."

Ritsu's lips parted in shock.

"It' okay Takano-san," He murmured. "It…It wasn't your fault."

"Regardless, I'm sorry." Takano replied, his brow creasing in pain. He put his head in his hands, running a hand haphazardly through his hair.

"You know," He muttered, swallowing hard. "I honestly don't know what's worse. Overbearing parents or absentee ones…"

Takano looked up and met Onodera's eyes again, shifting closer and replacing his hand on Ritsu's cheek.

"Listen to me Onodera," He said, his golden eyes full of more anguish than Onodera had ever seen. "I know what you must be feeling right now. I know that you think that you have nothing left except the babies, but I want you—no, I need you to know that you having something. I love you Onodera, and I am willing to do anything in order to make these babies feel happy and loved. Because the absolute last thing I want is for them to have to go through what we did—"

Onodera pressed his lips together, and his own eyes began to flood as Takano's voice cracked with emotion. He stared in complete shock and sorrow at the other man, and his mouth began to quiver. Takano dropped his gaze and took his hand away, letting it drift down to Onodera's belly instead. He kept it there for a brief second before standing up and pacing around, taking a few deep breaths.

Onodera couldn't take his eyes away from the sight of Takano almost shedding tears. The strong, unbreakable man who never let anything stand in his way had been beaten down to the ground, and in spite of his own problems, it nearly sent a crack right down the brunette's already bruised heart.

Onodera brought a hand up to his eyes as liquid began to flow and spill down his cheek. He blinked rapidly and brushed them away, trying to use his last ounce of strength to fight his own brokenness.

He took a deep breath and sniffed, glancing up as Takano finally turned around.

"Come on," He said, reaching out a hand to help the brunette up. "We both need to get some rest."

Onodera nodded, letting Takano pull him off the couch.

A few minutes later the two had curled up in Takano's bed, their bodies sinking into the mattress and their minds drifting off.

Takano's breaths became steady almost immediately, but Ritsu found his eyes still open long after he'd settled. He rolled away from the edge of the bed, twisting around till he was facing Takano. He stared at the face of the man across from him, and saw a bit of pain still lingering on his countenance in spite of his slumber.

Quiet as a mouse, Ritsu shifted an arm out from underneath him and stretched it over. He hesitated for a brief moment before lightly setting his fingertips on Takano's forehead.

And at the moment, the weary and wandering brunette felt something he had not felt in years. In fact, he didn't think he would ever feel such an emotion again.

Longing.

* * *

><p>The next day, the two men were a bit disoriented from leaving the hospital so suddenly, but at the same time, a comfort in being back in a familiar place.<p>

Onodera sat on the couch, reading through a couple of storyboards that Kisa had faxed this morning while Takano scrounged through his bare cupboards for their breakfast. The two hadn't said anything about what had happened last night, and from their demeanors it was apparent that they wanted it to stay that way. For the time being at least.

Takano had called Dr. Gensei that morning as well and gotten a list of instructions regarding the brunette's care. The doctor had agreed to let Onodera go into outpatient care, but still wanted Takano to monitor him closely. And for once, when Takano disclosed that bit of information, Onodera didn't make waves. Takano didn't know specifically why, but was relieved all the same.

Takano muttered to himself absentmindedly as he puttered around the kitchen, a few slight curses making their way into his dialogue before he finally located a carton of eggs and some rice.

"Omelet Rice okay?" He called into the living room.

Onodera glanced up.

"…That sounds great actually."

Takano glanced up, giving him a smirk.

"The hospital food wasn't that bad."

Onodera snorted back, but his lips also curved.

"Maybe to you."

Takano chuckled, turning back to dig in his fridge for some soy sauce.

Onodera's green eyes drifted back down to the storyboard, but stayed there only briefly before they slid back up. He watched Takano silently, the pen in his hand tapping quietly on the coffee table. He was so engrossed in what his eyes saw that he jumped as he heard a knock on the door.

Takano also glanced up, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you expecting someone?" Onodera asked, setting the papers down.

"No." Takano replied. "But stay there."

The man quickly crossed over from the kitchen, his face slightly hardening. With all the unexpected and fucking unpleasant "visits" the two had had lately, he was very much concerned about who was tapping on their door now.

Takano breathed in a lungful of air as he unlocked the door and pulled it open, but his lower lip dropped when he laid eyes on who it was.

Hearing the man's odd silence, Onodera craned his head over to see who it was, and his jaw too went slack.

"Rit-chan, thank goodness you're here."

Onodera's mouth gapped wider.

"…An-chan?"


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry this chapter took awhile, but it's very long so I hope it's worth it :)

And WOW! I can't believe how many people are reading and subscribing and reviewing! You all are so wonderful and I thank you for it ^_^

**Love,**

**TBF101**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen: Friend and Family<strong>

"Hi Rit-chan," Kohinata An smiled as she laid eyes on her childhood friend. Onodera slowly rose from the couch, taking a few hesitant steps towards the door.

An smiled again, and looked warily at Takano.

"Umm, sorry for stopping by so suddenly but…would it be all right if I came in?"

Takano's eyes drifted from her over to Ritsu, and when he saw no outright objection, he nodded.

"Sure." He said, holding the door open for her.

"Thank you. Pardon the intrusion." An said gratefully, bowing to Takano. The young blonde-haired girl quietly stepped into the apartment and took off her shoes. And while she did, Onodera and Takano didn't take their eyes from her.

An's eyes were also on Ritsu as she walked up from the entryway, and she once again offered him a smile.

"Rit-chan, it's good to see you up." She said.

"Er um…An-chan," Onodera spoke tentatively. "Sorry but, what—what are you doing here?"

At his curious tone, An continued to smile but her lips quivered. In less than a second the girl burst forward and pulled Ritsu into a tight hug.

"Oh Rit-chan!" She cried out. "What your mother did to you was horrible!"

Onodera flinched in shock, and his eyes went wide.

"W—What?"

An sniffed, hugging the brunette tighter.

"Oh Rit-chan I'm so sorry! I can't believe how awful she is! She just threw you away like that even though she's your own mother! She's horrible!"

Ritsu's eyes widened even more as his childhood friend's sudden words. An released her hug, but her eyes were extremely pained.

"I was so worried about you Rit-chan. After what she did I kept trying to call but I didn't know your room number and I went there last night and they said you'd left! And then I went to your apartment next door and you weren't there and I was so worried I wouldn't be able to find you! Are you all right Rit-chan? Please tell me!"

Ritsu continued to stare in shock, but he dipped his chin in a nod.

"Are you sure?" An pressed worriedly.

"Yeah," He replied. "I…I, er Takano-san has…been with me, so I'm fine."

An gave him a half-hearted smile.

"Has your father spoken to you at all?" She asked, taking one of his hands into hers.

Ritsu shook his head.

"No."

An's frown deepened.

"After we left the hospital, they argued all the way back to their house. I've—I've never ever seen them like that before."

"They did?"

An nodded.

"Your mother doesn't want to have anything to do with you…but Ryoichi-san defended you very passionately."

A flicker of life flashed in Onodera's eyes, and Takano could've sworn that the brunette almost wanted to smile.

"He…he really did? He's not mad?"

An shook her head, her mouth curling.

"No, he's not."

Onodera swallowed hard, then asked.

"Are you?"

An's mouth dropped and she threw her arms around him once again.

"Oh Rit-chan, there's no way I could be mad at you! You're my family! And even if your mother shuns you I won't! I love you Rit-chan. And… I can't wait to see your babies."

An leaned her face against Onodera's neck, but she was surprised to suddenly feel Ritsu's willowy arms wrap around her as well. After a big squeeze, they released each other and the girl's lips parted as she saw the expression of unfathomable gratitude in the brunette man's face.

"An-chan," He said, his lips folding back into a small grin. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

An smiled back, giving Ritsu's hand a squeeze.

"You're welcome Rit-chan."

"Hey you two,"

An and Ritsu looked over at Takano, who was leaning against the wall with a casual expression.

"The hallway isn't exactly a stellar place to talk. Why don't you guys head into the living room while I cook us up some breakfast?"

Onodera dipped his chin in a nod and motioned towards the living room. An smiled brightly at Takano and bowed again before following her friend.

The dark-haired man watched as the two headed over and sat down on the couch, their conversation already putting more spark into Ritsu's eyes than Takano had seen in weeks.

He pivoted on his heel and turned back to the kitchen, his own smile starting to grow.

He let out a light grunt as he began to gather ingredients for the food.

Maybe there was still a bit of hope in the word "family" after all.

* * *

><p>"So how do you feel Rit-chan?" An asked as the two of them sat down in Takano's living room. Onodera shrugged bashfully.<p>

"Better, but I'm still not a hundred percent."

An dipped her chin in a nod.

"Has…Has it been hard? Carrying them I mean, the babies."

Ritsu glanced down at his stomach, placing a hand on the bulge.

"Very hard at times…but, I don't regret keeping them." He replied with a small smile. An's eyes lit up and she reached out a hand.

"Can I touch your belly Rit-chan?"

"Mhmm." He grunted back, pulling up his shirt so she could have a better feel. An placed her palm on his baby bump, rubbing his skin softly.

"Do you know if they are boys or girls yet?"

Ritsu shook his head.

"No. Doctor said it's too early to tell. We'll find out around six or seven months probably."

At the mention of "we" An gave him a smile.

"I bet Takano-san will be happy to find out."

Ritsu's face slightly fell and his eyes drifted down musingly.

"What's wrong?" An asked, reading his change of expression.

"Nothing. I'm fine." He replied, but the girl didn't buy it.

"…The babies…they are Takano-san's right?"

Ritsu nodded, still keeping his gaze lowered.

"Yes…they are."

Sensing the quiet hesitancy in her friend's voice, An scooted closer.

"Rit-chan… are you…and Takano-san…together?"

The brunette started with a visible flinch. He opened his mouth as if to answer, but closed it again with a sigh.

An cocked her head, concern creasing her brow.

"You don't know, do you?"

Ritsu slowly shook his head, his brow furrowing as well. He stayed silent, pulling his shirt back down over his stomach with a sigh.

"Rit-chan…" An murmured, touching her fingertips to his shoulder. "Talk to me."

The brunette gave another sigh and finally spoke in a low tone.

"It's complicated."

"Rit-chan," An said worriedly. "I've never seen you like this. You've always been so distant in your relationships…could it…could it be that Takano-san is the one you loved in high school?"

It was apparent in the sudden widening of Ritsu's eyes that An had guessed correctly, and she discerned as much. The girl saw more pain surface in her friend's face and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Are you wondering if you should stay with him or not?" She asked quietly, her eyes fixed on his face. Ritsu nodded, finally choosing to speak.

"I don't know what to do An-chan…I…I don't know if I love Takano-san…and even if I did, I can't seem to get past all the thoughts that have been clinging to me all this time… I don't want to be hurt like that again but…I want my babies to have a loving family…a _whole_, loving family. One free of fear and hatred."

"And…how does Takano-san feel?"

Ritsu flinched again, letting his eyes drift downward.

"He…he tells me all the time that he loves me, and I see the truth of it on his face but… I just…I just can't believe it. It's like I have a wall up, and nothing he says can get through. And now after all that's happened… I don't even know if I want the barrier up or not anymore…"

An gently rubbed Ritsu's shoulders, encouraging him to look back over at her.

"Sometimes… sometimes the truth changes when we change Rit-chan, and that's why we have a hard time seeing it for what it is."

Ritsu's wide green eyes narrowed in contemplation at An's words.

"Huh…where did you hear that?"

"Shou-chan told me." She smiled. Ritsu's brow furrowed.

"Who?"

"Oh my gosh, I forgot I didn't tell you yet." The girl grinned excitedly. "I've…I've met someone…and we're getting married."

Ritsu's mouth dropped, but his lips had curved into a smile. He opened his arms and gave her an excited hug.

"Oh An-chan, that's wonderful!" He said happily. "So who is he?"

"His name is Hinajima Shousuke, and I met him a couple months ago at graduate school. I would've told you sooner but I never got the chance."

"Wow An-chan," Ritsu said, still smiling. "I'm…I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Rit-chan," An grinned back. "It means a lot. And… on another note… I want to apologize…for the way I acted a while back, during New Year's."

"Oh An-chan, no need to apologize." Ritsu quickly said, raising a palm.

"No Rit-chan, I'm sorry for the way I acted. I'm sorry for pursuing you so relentlessly. It's just, I had just gotten out of a bad relationship and I came back from France and you never seemed to be around and…I was just very depressed. But, I'm happy to say that Shou-chan is a wonderful man and I am infinitely better than I was."

Ritsu gave her a small smile.

"…Thanks An-chan. I hope you two are happy together."

An smiled back.

"I'm sure we will be…and Rit-chan, I wish for your happiness as well. And if there's anything I can do, you name it."

"Well," The brunette answered. "There is one thing…"

An-chan leaned forward expectantly.

"What is it Rit-chan? Whatever it is I'll do it."

"Well you see," He continued clasping his hands in his lap. "Seeing as how I've been disowned, and my mother is not one to change her mind… would you…would you be my babies' godmother?"

The blonde girl's eyes went wide in shock and her hand flew to her lips.

"Oh Rit-chan," An murmured. "I would be honored."

Her friend and brother smiled back at her, gratitude coloring his emerald eyes.

"Thank you."

An returned the smile, a glint of mischief lightening her eyes.

"Well, I was gonna ask you to be my maid of honor, but with your belly I don't think you could fit in the dress."

For the first time countless weeks, Ritsu's lips pulled back and he let out a stream of warm laughter that echoed throughout the apartment.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the kitchen, Takano felt like a hunter trying to find his prey in a jungle of cupboards and cabinets. He had successfully managed to gather the eggs, soy sauce, and a frying pan, but the bag of sugar eluded him.<p>

The dark haired man bit down on his tongue as he reached into the back of a particularly high cabinet, and grunted out in triumph as he felt the bag.

He pulled it out was about to set it down, when an eerily familiar and yet unfamiliar sound caught his ear.

Takano glanced into the living room, and his eyes widened as he saw Onodera laughing. Actually laughing!

Takano's lips curled into a smile and he dropped the bag of sugar on the counter, adding a bit of oil to the pan and turning on the stove.

"Hey Onodera," He called. "Do you like more sugar or more soy sauce in your eggs?"

Quiet footsteps padded down the hall and a voice answered.

"Rit-chan likes equal amounts of both." An replied, giving Takano a polite smile. His mood at a record high because of Onodera's golden laughter, Takano smiled back.

"What about you?"

An shrugged playfully.

"Depends on the day."

Takano chuckled.

"Me too."

An glanced around Takano's untidy kitchen, peering with interest at the empty cupboards.

"Looks like you guys haven't been around for awhile huh?"

"Nope." Takano replied, stirring up the mixture for the omelets.

"Well, what do you say you make me a list and I go shopping today?"

Takano glanced over at An-chan and nodded gratefully.

"That would be great. Thanks."

An smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't want Rit-chan to starve to go hungry when he's eating for three. Those babies need plenty of nutrients."

Takano chuckled, glancing over at her again.

"Well then, you'll just have to come around more and check on him won't you?"

An's face grew wide with a hint of shock as Takano's invitation, but it quickly turned to a glow.

"Thank you, Takano-san. I intend to."

An-chan quickly reached into an open cupboard and took out another frying pan, beginning to cook another omelet while she and Takano had a good long chat.

Meanwhile, Ritsu sat contently on the couch in the living room, his chest feeling lighter than it had in a long time as he heard the relaxed conversation echoing from the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Hope you all enjoyed :) Say goodbye to nostalgia, because we are going to be going back to Artistica (Yuu and Hisashi) for quite a while.<p>

I actually came up with the idea for this chapter while I was making a Japanese style rice omelet. I had another anime and yaoi obsessed friend teach me how and they are really quite good. But Japanese omelets are seasoned with soy sauce and sugar, which is a bit different than our savory American style eggs. They actually use quite a lot of sugar when they cook meat over there, which is kind of an acquired taste lol. The omelets are tasty though (though I am a more soy sauce person myself).

Anyways, thanks for reading! :) Happy trails and on to the next!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Nineteen: The Return of the King**

"Well," Yuu said, opening his front door with a smile. "Welcome home blondie."

Despite the fact that he was smiling himself, Hisashi rolled his eyes and gave Yuu a playful shove, stepping over the threshold and into Yuu's entryway.

"Hisashi? Yuu?" A voice called from living room. Renaka stepped out a few seconds later, giving the two an equally thrilled smile.

"Welcome home boys." She said.

Hisashi took a deep breath as he slipped off his shoes, relishing that the house didn't smell like disinfectant and the elderly. It smelled like his boyfriend, musky and earthy, and the warm familiarity of it was almost overwhelming. They had only been in the hospital for five days, but it felt like so much longer.

"Come on in Sashi," Renaka said, gesturing to the living room. "I have a surprise for you."

The blonde cocked his head and stepped in behind her, and was slightly startled as he heard a scuffle in the kitchen. With an excited ruff, a big black dog raced out of the adjoining room and bolted straight to Hisashi, almost knocking him over. And after a brief second, the blonde's shock was immediately replaced with joy.

"Steve!" He grinned, kneeling down to hug Renaka's old Labrador. "How on earth did you get here?"

"I had him flown in Hokkaido," Renaka answered with a smile. "Along with other things."

Hisashi's eyebrows furrowed, and the mangaka continued.

"I've rented an apartment down the street and I'm in the process of having it furnished." She disclosed.

"You're moving here?" Hisashi asked in surprise.

"For the time being. I'm not about to let the two of you go back to your haphazard way of handling pregnancy." She chuckled. "And since I'm under the firm belief that every child deserves a dog, I thought Steve should come along for the ride. Yuu and I agreed that he should stay with you here while I keep setting up. He can keep you company and act as a space heater."

Hisashi let out a laugh, still rubbing the dog's ears.

"Wow, that's great. With you and Steve here…it really feels like home."

"It better." Renaka chuckled. "He was not a happy dog when I picked him up from the airport."

Hisashi laughed again.

"Poor Steve," He said, scrunching the dog's ears and grinning. "Did you not like flying?"

From across the room Yuu gave a smile at the scene, and he too also felt the quiet warmth of returning home in his chest.

"Hey dog," He smiled, walking over to Hisashi. "You remember me?"

Hisashi quickly pressed his lips together to suppress a laugh. Back during the summer when they had been up in Hokkaido, Yuu had had trouble pronouncing the foreign name "Steve," and after many failed attempts (and laughs from the bilingual Hisashi), he had taken to just addressing the animal as "dog."

Needless to say, the friendly lab did seem to recognize the brunette and gave a lick to his outstretched hand. Yuu smiled and stroked the soft black head, glancing over at Hisashi.

"So your highness, now that you're home, what do you want to do?"

Hisashi cocked his head to ponder.

"I imagine you'll need another nap soon." Renaka commented. Hisashi thought for a few more seconds and his eyebrows rose.

"No, I'm not tired," He murmured. "Actually…I'm hungry."

Yuu's own eyebrows shot up.

"Are you pulling my leg?"

The blonde shook his head, slowly standing up.

"Nuh uh." He grunted, his head rotating towards the kitchen. "Actually I'm…I'm freaking starving." He declared, hurrying off into the other room.

Yuu and Renaka stared after him in complete silence.

"Huh." Yuu grunted. "And I thought he had mood swings before…"

* * *

><p>Yuu and Hisashi had been home for a couple of days now, and although some things went back to normal, others had turned upside down. Mostly in the form of Hisashi eating his own body weight in various, randomly selected foods every day. With this case in point, Yuu had just made a trip to the convenience store (again) and was entering the living room with a loaded bag of groceries.<p>

"I'm home." Yuu announced. Hisashi looked over from the couch, where he was camped out with a snoozing Steve in front of the TV.

"Welcome back." The blonde replied. "That didn't take long."

Yuu let out a laugh.

"You're the one who told me to hurry. I got your watermelon and takoyaki potato chips."

Hisashi's head immediately perked up and he padded over to collect his prizes, immediately ripping open a sealed bag and chowing down.

"I got you something else too." Yuu added, reaching into the sack and pulling out a large bottle.

Hisashi glanced up curiously. The bottle almost looked like brand of iced coffee he used to buy.

Yuu saw the gleam in his partner's eyes and snorted musingly.

"It's not coffee. It's protein shake that's mocha flavored. It's not the caffeinated black sludge you normally drink, but it's something. Plus it's high in calories."

The blonde gave a forlorn sigh for his lost beverage love, but his lips curled as he looked at his boyfriend.

"Thanks Yuu. It means a lot."

The brunette chuckled.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't support my uke's unhealthy obsessions?"

Hisashi snorted and rolled his eyes, gathering his vittles before heading back to the couch throne.

Yuu took the bag into the kitchen and began to unpack the last of the items, and although it had been his third trip to the store just that day, he had a permanent smile perched on his lips.

It absolutely thrilled him to see Hisashi doing so much better, and all the food he was plowing through was helping to fill out his thin body nicely (especially considering the fact that a good portion of it was junk food). At the sight of Hisashi up and alert, Yuu couldn't help but be in high spirits, especially since he was getting a few more days off himself. He would be going back to work eventually, but there wasn't actually that much of a hurry. Renaka had pulled some strings and convinced a star manga assistant she knew to come down and fill in at Ijuuin's, and the caliber of the assistant's efficiency had really helped to fill the hole Yuu and Hisashi had left.

And now with Hisashi out of the hospital, his stitches healing, and his cravings bordering on gluttony, things were looking up.

After doing a load of dishes and starting a pot of rice for dinner (and no doubt midnight snack as well), Yuu headed back into the living room, his lips curving further as he saw Hisashi beached. The blonde had one hand resting on his stomach, and the very tip of his tongue poked out between his thin lips. Hisashi gestured to the almost empty bag of chips and grimaced.

"Take them away from me." He moaned, closing his eyes. "Or they're all coming back up…"

Yuu sighed and tossed the chip bag into a nearby trash can.

"Hey, I know you feel a black hole right about now, but try not to eat so fast."

Hisashi stuck his tongue out farther as a reply, sinking into the couch sleepily. Yuu was just about to sit down himself when he heard the phone start to ring.

He raced back into the kitchen, but was immediately confronted with the fact that the phone was buried underneath a mess in the counter. He frantically brushed aside junk mail and ads, but only found the answering machine and not the receiver.

"Hisashi! Where'd you put the phone after you ordered take out?" Yuu called.

"It should be there!"

"Well it's NOT!" Yuu yelled. Finally exhaling a sigh, he reached over and pressed the speaker button.

"Moshi moshi. Yanase." He answered. When no immediate reply came, he craned his ear closer. "Hello?"

"…Um hi Yuu." A quiet voice finally answered. Yuu's eyes went wide and he recognized it immediately, but it also sent a bolt of lightning crashing down on him.

"Chiaki?"

* * *

><p>Your reviews are all so wonderful! And I'm so happy you all are actually REQUESTING more Artistica! XD AAHHH! SQUEE!<p>

Their story is a bit out of order. This is actually supposed to be the third part in their trilogy, but I'm not going to start writing the second until this is done. But sometimes writing things out of order is more fun, and trust me when I say all details and explanations will be filled within time. *bows *

And if you are wondering, yes. I am of the opinion that every kid should get a dog. Period.

(Unfortunately my parents didn't see things my way for a very long time...)

But my deprivation aside, I hope you all continue to enjoy reading and new chapter will be up soon! Prepare for angst!

**Love, **

**TBF101**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty: Grudge**

"Hey," Chiaki answered. "It's been awhile."

"…Yeah, it has." Yuu replied after swallowing some of his shock. He leaned against his counter and began to throw out some of their junk mail as a distraction.

"So how have you been?" Yuu asked, trying to keep his voice casual. Despite the fact that both Chiaki and Hatori knew that Yuu and Hisashi were dating, the couples tended to avoid each other. While Yuu and Chiaki still desired to remain friends, there was just too much baggage and discomfort for it to happen yet. When work was involved, the four were all cordial, but otherwise, they dodged each other like airborne mold.

"I'm…okay I guess." Chiaki replied.

"Mmm. How's your baby? It's gotta be almost time for you to deliver."

"Yeah," Chiaki said with a short laugh. "She's coming any day now. I'm about ready to burst."

Chiaki spoke in his normal bright tone, but Yuu couldn't help but pick up on something below the surface. The closer he listened, the more he heard fatigue and pain in his friend's words. Yuu furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't comment.

"I bet Hatori is a giant wreck." Yuu said casually. "I heard you had to stop drawing manga for awhile because you were so sick."

"I did. The first couple of months were rough, and it didn't get much better. Tori—….Tori is pretty stressed." Chiaki spoke, his voice growing quieter. Yuu could hear a faint cracking in Chiaki's tone, as if he were trying to hold himself back.

"…L—Listen Yuu," He continued. "There's…There's something I need to tell you…and I don't know how to do it…I…I'm so scared Yuu…I'm scared—"

Yuu felt his lower lip drop as he heard Chiaki suppress a sob, and he felt his heart stirring at his friend's agonized tone. And although their relationship was at a rocky point, he still felt immense compassion for him.

"Chiaki," Yuu said warmly, his hands wrapping around the edge of the counter. "It's okay. You don't need to be scared."

"Yuu…" Chiaki sniffed, letting out a mournful cry.

"Don't cry Chiaki." Yuu spoke reassuringly. "Don't cry. It's gonna be okay. Tell me what this is all about."

"Oh Yuu," Chiaki said in panting sobs. "The thing is…I—I don't know if Hatori is the father of my baby!"

Yuu's body went limp and his hands fell.

"What?"

"Do—Do you remember my last birthday…at the hot springs? Well…I—I tried to trace the dates back to see if it was that day or when Hatori did….that…but…I—I can't seem to figure out the t—timing…Yuu, my—my baby…it might be yours—" Chiaki was cut off by another sob, but this time he barely managed to muffle it.

Yuu stood, his legs and body feeling like they were encased in ice. His mind as well was frozen, unable to process what Chiaki was saying. Hearing Yuu's silence and panicking, Chiaki kept speaking.

"Yuu…I—I know this is so much to ask but…would—would you be able to come to a clinic so they can d—do a test? T—Tori doesn't want me to but… you—you have a right to know if it's your baby…"

Yuu weakly nodded his heavy head and spoke.

"…Yeah…I can do that." He replied, also trying to suck the wild wind of emotion out of his voice.

Chiaki sobbed in gratitude.  
>"Thank you Yuu," He wept. "Thank you so much…I'll…I'll call you when I've made an appointment."<p>

"Okay." Yuu replied. "I'll talk to you later…b—bye."

Yuu pressed the speaker button and immediately sucked in a breath as a pile of bricks smashed into his head. He leaned down on the counter for support, gripping a handful of his shaggy hair as guilt, regret, and sorrow slashed into his mind.

"Oh my god…" He whispered in horror. "No…"

"…Yuu?"

Yuu's head jerked up and his pained eyes went wide as he saw Hisashi standing in the kitchen doorway. Yuu immediately wondered in horror if Hisashi had heard, but by the sober look in those stone blue eyes…he had.

Even still, Hisashi didn't shy away, but stepped further forward, reaching out a hand to Yuu's lean shoulder.

"Yuu?"

Yuu bowed his body over the counter, still taking in deep, aching breaths.

"Oh my god…what have I done?" He murmured, trying to swallow back a lump in his throat. He felt Hisashi's arms wrap around his lower back, but he didn't respond.

"Are you okay?" Hisashi asked quietly.

"I'm fine…" Yuu choked back out. "I—I just…"

But the brunette found he couldn't finish his sentence. He turned around to lean his back against the wall, and Hisashi let go in the process, but still stared at Yuu with concerned eyes. The blonde took a tentative step forward, reaching out a pale hand again.

"Yuu…it's gonna be okay…you'll see…"

But Yuu shook his head in sorrow.

"It's not that simple."

Hisashi's eyes began to blink faster, but he didn't drop his gaze, even when a weight crashed on his chest as well.

Because Yuu had never told him that he'd slept with Yoshino. Of course they had exchanged life stories, even before they were dating, but naturally Yuu had edited his story. And to have the entire truth revealed in this context was soul shattering. The two men let silence overtake their words for a brief minute before Hisashi finally spoke.

"Yuu…" He said gently. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Yuu grimaced in pain, but replied.

"The same reason you never told me you attempted suicide before…because it's a part of my past that I'd rather forget."

Hisashi swallowed uncomfortably, unnerved that Yuu had gleaned that information. Even still, he brushed it aside.

"Yuu, it'll be alright. I know it will."

"Hisashi—"

"I know it will!" The blonde cried out, his eyes blinking faster.

"Hisashi. Stop!" Yuu barked, raising a hand. The blonde's eyes filled with moisture, but all his attention was focused on Yuu, who was holding his head as if it hurt.

"How…how can you be so damn laid back all the time?" The brunette suddenly choked out, blocking his eyes from Hisashi's view as he bowed his head. The blonde furrowed his eyebrows at Yuu's words, but after a brief moment, he understood.

"Yuu, I'm not mad at you."

Yuu's lips tightened and he gritted his teeth.

"I wish you were mad at me." He whispered. "I wish you would yell at me for being such an idiot and practically raping my best friend. I almost wish you would hit me…give me some portion of the punishment I deserve—"

With a final gasp, Yuu's knees bent and he sank to the floor, his entire face now hidden from view. Hisashi knelt down with him, leaning his head against Yuu's shoulder.

"Yuu, you have no reason to apologize to me." The blonde murmured, wrapping an arm around Yuu's waist. "We didn't even know each other when that happened. And you were a different person back then. You can't blame yourself…"

Yuu's head slightly rose, but he didn't look at his boyfriend. Hisashi took one of Yuu's arms and wrapped his own limbs around it, resting his cheek on Yuu's shoulder.

"And come on…" He murmured, trying to smile. "You know me right? I can't hold a grudge to save my life. The longest I've ever held one was 16 hours, and I was asleep for twelve of them."

Hisashi heard Yuu give a tiny snort, and he hugged the brunette harder, still blinking back his own rising tears.

The two lovers sat together for a long while, choosing to let the calming silence wrap around their blistered wounds like a salve. After some time, Yuu turned and rested his head against Hisashi's, pulling an arm around his partner as well. The blonde leaned closer to his embrace and drank in a heavy sigh. Without voicing it, the two both knew that their partners were afraid, but Hisashi also thought of the other storms they had weathered since they'd been together, and he had faith that they sail through this one as well, no matter what the odds.

He only wished that Yuu could have that same confidence.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-One: Rock**

Yuu and Hisashi both sat in silence as the train whipped them to another part of Tokyo, where they would meet Chiaki at a clinic for a paternity test. Yuu's friend had texted him the time and location of the appointment last night, and the two were now on their way.

Hisashi's dull blue eyes shifted over to his boyfriend, who hadn't said a word since they'd left the house, and while he was worried himself, he didn't blame Yuu.

Ever since yesterday, the normally collected brunette had been a complete wreck. Even now as they rode the train, Yuu sat quietly and dejectedly, his head bowed and his face sober.

Hisashi breathed out a sigh, shifting around his hands inside his hoodie pocket. The blonde was feeling a bit ill today, but he had shaken if off (or tried to) to accompany Yuu to the clinic. The last thing he wanted was for Yuu to have to go through this alone. Especially considering the magnitude of things Yuu had done for them in their time together. Yuu had always been his strong rock that he could hold on to in times of stress and heartache, and now that it was Yuu's foundation that had been shaken, Hisashi wanted to give back some portion of the loving care he'd been shown.

Hisashi shifted again, rubbing his bulging stomach with a palm. Even though the stress had caused him to lose his appetite yet again, he'd managed to choke down a bowl of rice this morning, not wanting to cause Yuu any more grief.

It was just afternoon the noon rush, so the train car was barely populated. And when it pulled to yet another stop, everyone but the couple got off. Once the door had reshut and the train was rushing off again, Hisashi took a hand out of his hoodie and placed in on Yuu's knee, leaning over to rest his head on the lean shoulder. Almost immediately, Yuu shifted as well, slipping an arm around Hisashi's shoulders and burying his cheek in the nest of blonde curls.

Hisashi was glad Yuu was responding, as it lent a shell of normalcy to the harrowing situation. The blonde had noticed fairly quickly in their relationship that despite Yuu's aura of standoffishness in public, he was actually very clingy, touching and hugging at even the slightest chance. After thinking about it, Hisashi came to the conclusion that Yuu was showing a lot of affection to make up for the years he'd lost pinning for Chiaki. And like Hisashi's mood swings, Yuu's crave for contact especially surfaced in times of stress. Hisashi had barely been able to shift around in bed last night because he'd found himself caged firmly in Yuu's warm arms.

While he knew some other men might not be too keen on the idea, Hisashi actually didn't mind the constant physical barrage. In fact, Yuu's ever present touch made him feel protected and safe.

A quiet murmur caught Hisashi's ear and he lifted his head, glancing at Yuu. The brunette sighed heavily, and his arm drew the smaller man closer to him.

"Yuu?" Hisashi asked. "What is it?"

"…Nothing." Yuu replied, staring straight ahead. "Just thinking…"

Hisashi moved his head back to Yuu's shoulder, his face grave.

"Are you okay?"

Yuu nodded.

"Yeah…"

"What are you thinking about?"

Yuu sighed.

"Just…regrets. All the mistakes I've made."

"Yuu… don't dwell on past mistakes." Hisashi said quietly, his gaze lowering.

"It's hard not to…especially when they're so big."

"Mistakes happen so we can learn from them." Hisashi replied, burying his face in his boyfriend's neck. "But eventually we have to let them go…I know that more than anyone. And… I know you've learned from your mistakes like I have."

For the first time in their conversation, Yuu turned his gaze to the smaller man.

Hisashi gave him a melancholy smile.

"Do you…remember the first time we made love?" He asked slightly bashfully.

Yuu's eyebrows furrowed.

"Why are you bringing that up?" He murmured.

"I don't know if you remember," Hisashi continued. "But I remember everything. You…you were so kind and gentle. You did absolutely nothing that would hurt me. And…I know that that happened because your mistakes made you a better man. The man I love so much…"

Hisashi lifted his head off Yuu's neck and stared straight at his crimson eyes as he tried to smile. And his mouth curled further when Yuu slightly smiled back. The brunette leaned forward and kissed Hisashi's temple, his gaze soft and grateful.

"Thanks Sashi. I love you too."

Yuu rested his head back on Hisashi's and the two continued to ride the train with a tangible comfort.

"I just hope this isn't too hard on you Sashi." Yuu murmured after a few quiet minutes. "You shouldn't have to cope with so much stress, especially when those two are involved."

Hisashi shrugged.

"I can deal with Yoshino. It's Hatori I can't stand…"

Yuu was about to laugh in reply, when he suddenly stopped.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why can't you deal with Hatori?"

Hisashi shifted around.

"Well…you know." He answered noncommittally. "You don't like him."

"Of _course_ I don't like him Hisashi." Yuu rolled his eyes. "But why don't you? I mean, there's no reason for you to hate him like I do."

"I…just…do okay?" The blonde answered, growing a bit more flustered. Yuu leaned down and looked him in the eye.

"Sashi. Spill it."

"No…" Hisashi muttered back.

"Come on." Yuu pressed. "Tell me why."

Hisashi groaned irritably, and finally managed to spit it out.

"He…He scares me all right." He muttered, his grip on Yuu's jacket slightly tightening. "I don't know why but he just makes me nervous…like I can never tell what he's thinking."

"And that scares you?" Yuu asked, cocking his head.

"I…yeah. I'm just not really used those type of people. Maybe Yoshino in his eternal naivety can deal with it but I can't…so…yeah."

Yuu's shook his head in mild shock.

"Wow. I really didn't see that one coming."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Hisashi muttered back.

"Hmmm," Yuu mused. "Tell me something."

"What?"

"Well," Yuu continued. "I was kind of a jerk when we first met. Why didn't I scare you off?"

For the first time that day, Hisashi chuckled.

"Oh come on Yuu, it's easy to tell you're not a hardass. In fact, behind your poker face you're a big, romantic, sap. Most people just don't take the time to figure it out."

Yuu's cinnamon eyes pulled wide at the quiet but sudden declaration, and for one of the first times in his life, he felt as if the mask he'd always worn had been taken off by a new pair of hands. With the tinniest smile on his face, Yuu snuggled closer to his blond boyfriend, and right there he made a decision.

No matter what happened at the clinic, there was no way he was going to let this one go.

An announcement came on over the speaker, and Hisashi lifted his head up. Yuu breathed in a deep sigh as the train began to slow.

"Well, this is our stop."

* * *

><p>I will update soon!<p>

**SangoSnow26, Otaku Frappe, Fauchocolat, hinatagirl18, kiyo12, Teddy Bear216, Puppyfacetwo, and Shirasu THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU!**

**Mini Blue Skirt**- I love your reviews! Thank you so much for all you do! ^_^

**Lumoa**- no, Hisashi is an OC character I made up for a story called "Always" which is about Yuu. If you want to read about how Yuu and Hisashi met, I highly suggest it. This story will make a lot more sense.

**Annalisse Rubisher**- ...hmm. I'm pretty much writing Hatori and Chiaki from the anime, but I have read synopsis of the books and the drama cds. Though I'm certainly not going to gloss over what happened in the books, like Hatori raping Chiaki. I just tell it like it is :) Thanks for the awesome reviews!

**HappySunshine29**- Sorry, but I'm a little fic full at the moment so I won't be able to do a Domestica side story. And since they are my least favorite couple and probably the most angsty, I probably wouldn't do it anyway. All the other Uke Flu writers right now kinda feel the same too. But if somebody wants to do a Domestica addition, more power to them. But I have my hands full with two pregnant couples already so lol...sorry.

**Cerber-seme**- I pass the update pregger boy baton! :D Wuv you lots darling seme!

**THANKS FOR READING, REVIEWING, SUBSCRIBING, AND FAVORITING! XDDD**

**TBF101**


	23. Chapter 23

Hello everyone and thank you for your patience with the updates :) This is a pretty long chapter and it was hard to write, so that's why it took almost a week to complete.

Anyways, somebody asked a question in a review and I just want to clarify something. This chapter is not going to be a crossover from the original Uke Flu chapter 3 where Nowaki goes to the clinic and sees Yuu and Hatori fighting. This situation is entirely new. Cerberus and I both thought long and hard about whether she should edit the previous chapters to merge with mine, but we both came to the conclusion that with our wacked timeline, it would be impossible. For one thing, it's already incredibly hard to merge two fics in the first place, not to even mention the fact that she started hers six months before I did. Plus with our different writing styles (she's a detail oriented person and I'm big picture) it's just one big headache to try and make everything freaking perfect. So yeah, we apologize but we're not going to do anything about it.

And for those of you who didn't notice the incongruities, don't try to find them. Ignorance is bliss.

Anyways, I thank you all again for your awesome candy coated feedback and your words of praise all mean the world to me. ^_^

Enjoy! Nostalgia is next.

TBF101

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Two: Confidence<strong>

After taking a deep breath and subtly intertwining their hands, Yuu and Hisashi walked in through the doors of the clinic. The blonde blinked a couple of times, as the white walls and ceiling gave the inside waiting room an overly blinding light.

Yuu's gaze immediately darted over to the far side of the wall where Chiaki was sitting, and the longer he stared, the wider his eyes got.

His normally bright, happy friend looked absolutely terrible. In fact, his appearance horrified Yuu. Chiaki had lost a lot of weight, but even as he sat huddled in an overlarge coat (probably Hatori's), Yuu could make out the watermelon sized baby bump that jutted out like a beach ball. Chiaki breathed a long sigh, closing his eyes as his head dipped forward and his shoulders slumped in fatigue. Yuu's heart immediately ached seeing his friend in such a state, and he felt a pang of guilt that he hadn't visited Chiaki more during his pregnancy, even though with Hisashi knocked up as well it was nigh impossible.

Hatori stood in front of Chiaki, his back to the door and his impassive eyes focused on his partner. Even still, Yuu could pick up a shifting nervousness in the man's posture, and seeing Chiaki in such a state, Yuu couldn't blame him.

Still clutching Hisashi's hand, Yuu walked forward and spread a slight smile over his face as Chiaki looked up.

"Yuu…" Chiaki murmured in relief. "I'm glad you could make it."

Yuu was about to reply in greeting when Hatori sharply whirled around, his gaze wide with shock followed by anger.

"What are you doing here?" He spoke in a monotone that barely disguised his malice.

"Chiaki asked me to come for the test." Yuu bristled, unable to contain his own anger.

Hatori's eyes slightly darkened and he turned back to his small uke.

"I thought we agreed that only you and I would get tested before we told anyone else Yoshino." He said sharply.

Chiaki grimaced and lowered his eyes.

"He has a right to know Tori."

Hatori's anger boiled and he and Yuu glared at each other with equal fury.

"There's no reason for you to be here." Hatori snarled. "Leave."

Yuu gritted his teeth.

"That's not going to happen. Chiaki asked me to be here and I intend to support him."

"You've done enough." Hatori snapped back, his eyes black with anger. Yuu swallowed back a noxious retort, choosing to leave personal attacks out of the situation for Chiaki's sake.

"Hatori, for once in your life listen to what Chiaki wants!" Yuu barked, his grip on Hisashi's hand involuntarily tightening.

"Oh and I suppose that what's you were doing when you got him drunk and had your way with him!"

Yuu's eyes widened at the man's nerve and was about to scream something back when he stopped cold.

"Don't you DARE talk to him like that!" The fourth person in the room yelled, speaking for the first time. At the volume of Hisashi's tone (and just the fact that he had actually yelled in the first place), Yuu and Hatori froze in shock.

Hisashi glared at them both, but more in irritation than anger.

"Now LOOK," He snarled. "Not ONE OF US wants to be here, but we all have to regardless! Now it's Yoshino's choice of who gets to be here, so SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP SO WE CAN ALL GET THIS OVER WITH!"

Hisashi let out a forced exhale, a scowl still coating his face as he let go of Yuu's hand and began to stomp away from the group.

"And I'm going to get a coffee!" He declared angrily. "Yoshino! Do you want anything?"

Chiaki flinched at Hisashi's tone and immediately shook his head. The blonde stormed down a nearby hall to the vending machine, not glancing back a single time.

The atmosphere a little awkward since the small blonde's outburst, Yuu turned from Hatori and sat down a seat from Chiaki, folding his arms casually across his chest and nonverbally proclaiming he wasn't going to continue the shouting match. After a few more seconds Hatori sat down on the other side of Chiaki, his lips closed as well.

A few minutes later, Hisashi wandered back into the waiting room, a cold can of coffee in one of his hands. He plopped irritably between Chiaki and Yuu and glared straight ahead. Yuu was a little taken aback by the blonde's unusual behavior, but he couldn't help but be amused as he saw a pissy Hisashi sit with the coffee can but make no move to open it.

The four sat in uncomfortable silence in the empty waiting room, the only background noise toneless elevator music. Almost fifteen minutes later of extremely pure awkwardness, a nurse called Chiaki over to the desk. But before the frail brunette could make a move, Hatori rose and paced over in his stead. After a quick chat with the nurse, Hatori came back over, completely ignoring Yuu.

"They'll send for us one by one." Hatori disclosed. "You'll be last."

Chiaki nodded in reply, his bright blue eyes staring longingly up at the tall man. But Hatori barely had a second to glance back before a nurse called him into a separate room, which he departed to without a glance back.

The petite Chiaki slumped a little as Hatori left, but almost immediately after he let out a startled grunt and jerked.

Yuu looked over worriedly.

"Chiaki? Are you okay?"

Chiaki swallowed in a deep breath, then nodded, patting his belly.

"She likes to kick." He smiled. "Hah, Tori says she's my baby all right. Can't sit still."

Yuu smiled warmly back, inclining his head around Hisashi to get a better view.

"Do you have a name picked out?"

Chiaki grunted, cocking his head.

"I think I'm set on Chiyuki. You know? Combine me and Tori's names."

Yuu nodded.

"Has a nice ring to it."

"Yeah, it'll be a good name… even…even if Tori isn't around." Chiaki murmured, his eyes lowering. Yuu's eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Chiaki wrapped both arms around his belly, pressing his lips together.

"I don't know…Late—Lately Tori's been making these weird comments about how I'd be better off with someone else and how we shouldn't be together anymore. I keep telling him that I want to be with him but…he—he doesn't seem to be listening. I—I'm so worried he'll leave me…and I don't want him to. I want my baby girl to have him as a daddy…and…I—I just want my Tori…"

Chiaki's eyes filled with tears and he slumped forward, holding back a sob with all his might. Yuu immediately got up and stood in front of his friend, taking one of Chiaki's hands.

"Chiaki, it'll be okay. I promise you."

The small brunette choked back another sob, bringing up his free hand to wipe away a tear.

"Come on," Yuu smiled softly. "Hatori's head over heels for you. He'd put you on a leash if it was legal."

One of the corner's of Chiaki's mouth briefly curled.

"I'm sure he's just chasing his tail in circles because he's worried about you. I mean, you're almost ready to deliver. That's a lot a pressure. And if I know one thing about Hatori, it's that he's all talk. So don't you worry about that Chiaki, okay?"

Chiaki nodded, brushing away another tear from his cheek. The pregnant brunette found a warming comfort coming from Yuu's hand, and he felt even more reassured by his friend's words. After a few seconds of silence, Hisashi also reached a hand over and patted Chiaki's shoulder, giving him a small smile. (Though he stayed silent. Hisashi's words of comfort were few and far between and he'd used them all up on Yuu on the way over.)

After a few quiet minutes Chiaki's face became much calmer and he smiled bashfully at Yuu and Hisashi.

"Sorry." He half laughed. "It's those hormones. Make me go nuts."

Yuu eyed him suspiciously.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Chiaki nodded quickly, staring at his lap.

Soon after, Hatori exited the other room with a nurse on his heels, who checked her clipboard and called Yuu's name. Yuu stood, glancing back at Chiaki briefly before he followed her. (And seeing as how Hisashi decided immediately that he was not going to stick around and endure five minutes of pure awkward terror, he quickly darted after.)

Hatori watched them go with narrowed eyes, then peered down at Chiaki, who was still staring at his lap. Without a word Hatori sank down next to him, crossing his arms across his chest. But when Chiaki didn't raise his head or speak, Hatori took a second look.

"Are you feeling all right Yoshino?" He asked blandly.

"Yeah…just tired is all." Chiaki murmured back, giving him a weak smile. Hatori nodded and turned away, but a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes as he felt Chiaki placed a hand on his knee.

"Chiaki, is anything the matter?" Hatori asked, his flat gray eyes scrutinizing Chiaki's wide gaze.

Chiaki stared back with pained eyes, and he forced a smile.

"…No." He replied, his gaze slipping back down to his lap. His hand also drifted from Tori's knee back to his own. Hatori eyed him doubtfully, but said nothing in reply.

Yuu and Hisashi were out much more quickly than Hatori, and the nurse called Chiaki straight away. The frail man stood (with a bit difficulty considering said beach ball) and glanced nervously at Tori as he headed over, but while the man nodded, he made no move to go with him. Seeing this, Yuu inwardly rolled his eyes and cast a nudging look at Hisashi.

The blonde quickly nodded and followed, heading into the adjoining room with Chiaki and the nurse while Yuu pivoted on his heel to face Hatori.

Seeing that the two of them were left alone, the editor's eyes narrowed, and they only tightened as Yuu began to speak.

"You know, you're a real piece of work. I used to think you were just arrogant, but now I'm pretty certain you're an IDIOT as well."

Hatori flared dangerously.

"And you're as condescending and underhanded as you've always been. I'm surprised you haven't run your new partner off yet."

"Talk about me all you want Hatori," Yuu spat. "But leave Hisashi out of this. This is about Chiaki, and in case you can't tell, I'm fucking pissed."

At the mention of Chiaki, Hatori's eyes momentarily lost some of their edge, but he quickly tried to compensate for his lapse.

"Then both of us are in agreement Yanase." Hatori said sharply. "As your mere presence here is enough to provoke my anger."

"Like I said," Yuu replied coolly. "Say whatever you want about me. I couldn't care less. But this isn't about me."

"Then why are you even bothering to chatter uselessly?"

"Because Chiaki, your goddamned BOYFRIEND is NINE months pregnant and you're making incredibly insensitive and STUPID comments about leaving him!"

Hatori's eyes widened, but he kept his tone even and sharp.

"That's none of your concern."

Yuu all but snarled.

"Look Hatori, things between Chiaki and me might have gone to shit, but he's still my friend and I still care about his well being. And you causing him this amount of stress when he already looks terrible makes me want to throw up!"

Hatori appeared even more stunned by Yuu's outrage, so much so that he didn't have an immediate reply, which lead Yuu is continue.

"And let me tell you this, Chiaki doesn't have me to fall back on anymore. So you damn well better think long and hard before you decide to do anything stupid."

Hatori swallowed hard, trying to keep his face stoic under Yuu's scrutinizing gaze. But he was even more surprised when Yuu gave an angry sigh.

"And lastly, good lord. Chiaki chose you for his partner, not me. So try having some goddamned confidence in that. Because if you don't, Chiaki isn't going to either."

Yuu glanced over as the adjoining door opened and Hisashi and Chiaki were ushered out. Without giving Hatori another glance, Yuu headed over, taking Hisashi's hand.

Chiaki gave him a weary smile.

"They say we should have the results in 24 hours. I'll call you."

"Okay." Yuu nodded. "Bye Chiaki. Take care of yourself."

"Thank you Yuu. I will." Chiaki smiled. Somewhat awkwardly, the two exchanged a quick, one-armed hug before Yuu and Hisashi headed out the door of the clinic and into a period of uncertain limbo.

* * *

><p>In a certain way, it was a little funny how one sound could provoke such extreme feelings in two people, and yet considering the situation, it was entirely expected.<p>

_Ring… Ring… Ring. _

"GET THE PHONE!" Hisashi barked, quickly extracting himself from Yuu, who darted up and raced into the kitchen at a dead run. Hisashi sat up, all his already frenzied nerves tensing from the worry and anticipation. From the other recliner, Renaka looked up as well, her own face stoic and yet apprehensive.

Yuu snatched the receiver from the kitchen countertop and swallowed hard before answering the line. He hoped to God that it was Chiaki this time, they had already gone through this nerve wracking routine three times today. It had been twenty-four hours, and Yuu knew he couldn't take another moment of suspense.

"Yanase." He answered, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. He wandered back into the living room, and three pairs of eyes went wide as the conversation continued.

"Chiaki?" Yuu said, his face immediately draining of color. "Did you get the results?…Mhmmm…yeah…right… okay…"

Hisashi pressed his trembling lips together as Yuu's face gave away nothing. Slowly and carefully, he got up off the couch and padded over, trying to keep his breathing steady as the tension in the room rose.

"Alright…thanks. Bye." Yuu said, punching a button the phone.

"Well?" Hisashi spoke. "What'd he say?"

Yuu took a long breath and slowly turned his eyes to his boyfriend's.

"They got the test results."

"And?" Hisashi pressed, gripping a fold off Yuu's sweatshirt sleeve.

"And the baby…is Hatori's!"

"OH YUU!" Hisashi shrieked in joy, launching himself into his partner's arms. Yuu let loose a huge, laughing grin as the blonde pounced, and proceeded to pick his uke up and spin him around.

"Waah!" Hisashi said with a laughing yelp. "Don't! You're gonna make me hurl!"

Yuu laughed, setting him back down.

"I hate you!" Hisashi laughed with relief. "You had me scared to death-Mmm!" The blonde grunted in suprise as Yuu pulled him into a sudden, sloppy kiss. Hisashi's stunned expression soon melted into the embrace, and he let Yuu tilt his head back to deepen the kiss. After they let go, Renaka let out a quiet chuckle.

"Well that's a relief." She smiled musingly at her two boys. "And now that the butcher finally cut that tension, what do you say we all have dinner?"

"Sounds great." Yuu replied, giving Hisashi another squeeze.

"I'll go start the rice." Renaka said, setting down her book and heading into the kitchen. Once she'd left, Yuu grabbed Hisashi and pulled him into another deep kiss, his hands beginning to wander.

"Hey," Hisashi breathed once Yuu let him go. "Not now. You know once I start I can't stop."

Yuu chuckled, running his hand tantalizingly down Hisashi's back.

"I know."

Hisashi snorted in annoyance, but let Yuu kiss him again, unimaginable relief flooding through his body.

"You know," Yuu said after they came up for air. "We might have to visit Chiaki more. I think you two could get along pretty well with your baby bumps."

Hisashi smiled.

"Perhaps. But not with Hatori."

"God no."

"That guy still gives me the creeps, and I'm pissed about the way he treats you…next time I see him I should cut his brakes."

"He doesn't have a car….wait." Yuu stopped, his eyes widening in shock. "Hisashi…where the hell did you learn how to cut brakes?"

Hisashi averted his eyes, suddenly bashful.

Well…you know? Just…around…"

Yuu's eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Uh huh." He grunted in disbelief, inclining his head towards the kitchen. "Hey Renaka-san?"

"Yeah?" The woman replied.

"Do you know how to cut brakes?"

"Sure, want me to teach you sometime?"

Yuu cast his eyes back to Hisashi, who gave him a casual shrug. Yuu sighed and shook his head, but the smile that seemed to be fixed in cement never left his face.

Hisashi had been right.

They had weathered the storm.

Together.


	24. Chapter 24

****-_- Sigh.

So, I had a lot of readers giving me the request to include a bit of domestica in this fic, and even though I can stomach nuclear acid more effectively I decided to resist my first inclination of saying "eff off" and instead give my wonderful, dedicated readers a bone.

So here is the _**ONE**_ domestica chapter that will make an appearance in this story. And as much as I like to think otherwise, it did not kill me to write this...

...though it came VERY, VERY CLOSE.

On that note, one reader asked if I hate Hatori, and to that person let me say : YES. A THOUSAND TIMES YEEESSSSS!

And here's why. For one, he has got to be the most ill conceived, uninteresting, cookie cutter, BORING seme I have ever seen. And Nakamura isn't known for creating boring characters, she makes marvelous characters! And it's almost as if she didn't even write Hatori because his character is so one toned and underdeveloped. Even his entirely annoying angst is boring! I mean, we've had great stone-face stoic characters in Nakamuradom like Yokozawa and Miyagi, but they had development and were actually interesting to read about! Wtf happened when this was being written?

Sigh. Anyways, enough of my rant. I will let you all read.

Now we can all get back to the couples I can tolerate. Nostalgia is next.

Enjoy the crap and thank you all for your wonderful reviews,

TBF101

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Three: A Wonderful Thing<strong>

Chiaki breathed a sigh of relief as he hung up the phone, his baby bump sinking slightly in the act. He reached over and set the phone on the coffee table beside his couch before replacing his hands on his belly, rubbing a soothing circle over the lightly shifting bump.

"So, how did he take it?" A monotone voice called from the adjoining kitchen. Chiaki glanced over at Hatori, who was standing next to the stove tending to several bubbling dishes.

Chiaki smiled musingly.

"He sounded relieved. It's certainly understandable, what with Araki-san pregnant as well."

Hatori grunted in reply.

"Though Yuu and Araki-san do seem like they like each other a lot," Chiaki continued airily. "I'm happy for them."

"Mhmm." Hatori answered. "The food's almost ready."

" 'Kay. I'll be there in a minute." Chiaki smiled, beginning to hoist himself out of his seat.

Hatori turned back to the stove, switching off the gas and reaching up to grab plates from the cupboard. But when he heard a quiet thump sound in the living room, he stopped cold. He glanced over into the living room and panic exploded inside him as he saw the brunette half propped up on the floor.

"Chiaki!" He yelled, racing over to the fallen man. "Are you okay? What happened!"

Chiaki winced slightly, but gave Tori a smile.

"I…I tripped over the coffee table is all. Didn't watch where I was going."

"Are you sure?" Hatori asked as he slid both his arms underneath Chiaki's and carefully hoisted him up.

"Yeah. I'm…I'm okay." Chiaki replied, grunting lightly under his breath as he found his footing. Still unconvinced, Hatori wrapped his arm around Chiaki's waist and helped him over to the table, pulling out the chair for him.

"Mmm thanks Tori." Chiaki smiled, giving the man's broad torso a hug. Hatori pressed his lips together at Chiaki's gesture, and after Chiaki let go, he released his arms, stepping back towards the kitchen.

"Hatori."

The tall man froze yet again as he heard Chiaki voice his full name, and he quickly masked his expression to hide the unease he felt.

"Yes Yoshino?"

"I uh…I need to talk to you about something." Chiaki said, his eyes drifting downward. Hatori opened his mouth to speak but Chiaki quickly cut him off.

"And I don't want you to say anything until I'm done okay?" The dark brunette stated, remembering how Hatori was quick to jump the gun in times like these.

Hatori gave a silent sigh of anxiety, but complied.

"All right."

Chiaki took a deep breath and settled himself into his chair while Hatori remained standing.

"Tori, there's something that's been bothering me for a while now, and I can't wait any longer to voice it."

Hatori opened his mouth as if to interrupt, but Chiaki raised a palm to stop him.

"And I know what you think it is, but it's actually really different."

The editor's eyes grew even more nervous at the words, but he kept his silence, even while it steadily cut up his insides to do so.

"Tori," Chiaki finally said, raising his wide blue eyes. "You've been so distant lately, and you keep making these offhand comments about leaving me and…I just…I don't understand why. You used to control my life to the point where I'd get mad…and now, you're barely feel like you're here with me. And…when we got the results saying the baby was yours, I thought you'd be happy…but instead…I feel like you're just waiting to run out the door."

Chiaki's lips began to quiver and he rapidly began to blink back the flow of tears.

"Tori please…please talk to me…because I don't know what to do anymore."

Hatori gave a long sigh, sinking down into one of the chairs as Chiaki waited for him with melancholy blue eyes.

"Sometimes Yoshino," Hatori murmured. "Sometimes I wonder if I should have just let Yanase have you."

"Why?" Chiaki sniffed out, a tear streaking down his cheek.

"Because he'd be a better fit for you… he could make you happy."  
>"Tori! YOU make me happy." Chiaki sobbed out, his eyes blinking even faster.<p>

"You say that…and yet…for some reason I can't have any confidence in our relationship. It just seems like… things are all wrong."

Chiaki hurriedly brushed back another tear, and he looked up with new determination in his gaze.

"Tori, let get some things straight." He said with only the slightest quiver in his voice. "You didn't reject Yuu, I did. He wasn't the one for me, and he's found somebody he can love and I'm happy for him! We can't create this big mess over what happened in the past, especially since we have a future ahead of us with this baby."

Hatori's face took on a sickly tint.

"That's…that's another thing."

"What is?"

"The baby…Yoshino…even though I didn't want the baby to be Yanase's…I almost…I almost didn't want it to be mine…"

Chiaki's eyes widened in horror.

"Tori, why?"

"Because," Hatori swallowed. "It's…It's a baby that was conceived…of rape."

The taller man bowed his head, staring at his limp hands in his lap.

"Chiaki, every second I've lived from nine months ago, I've felt nothing but regret for what I did. I hurt you…I hurt you in the most brutal and sickening why that I ever could have. And…to have a reminder of that haunting my every step, a reminder of the pain I gave you…it just…it makes me want to die."

More tears rolled down Chiaki's cheeks as Hatori bowed his head in shame, no longer able to meet the uke's gaze. But when he heard the sound of the chair moving, he peaked up. Carefully maneuvering his swelled belly, Chiaki stood up from his seat and walked to the other side of the table, placing himself in front of Hatori, who watched broken-heartedly. And his expression shifted from sorrow to shock as Chiaki leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face against Tori's cheek.

"Tori," He murmured in a quivering tone.

Hatori swallowed hard, trying to mask his face against the cold flow in his chest.

"Chiaki. I'm…sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright Tori," Chiaki sniffed back. "It's alright…"

"It's not alright Chiaki." Hatori replied sorrowfully. "I can never change the awful thing I did to you. The past is written in stone."

The light brown head sunk even lower, several of Chiaki's fallen tears creating dark spots in the folds. Silence consumed and engulfed the room, and even though the lights were on, a certain darkness had crept in and attacked the atmosphere. But slowly, a tiny, quivering voice spoke.

"…You're only half right Tori…"

Hatori's head rose and he stared in melancholy at Chiaki, who was trying hard to smile. The small brunette carefully crawled up and sat in Tori's lap, wrapping his arms around the strong neck.

"Tori, you know what I think? I think that even though some things start out bad, they can turn into something good."

Hatori remained silent so Chiaki quietly continued.

"Have you ever read some of the articles about the original Japanese carrier of the uke flu?" He said, resting the side of his face against Tori's chest. Hatori gave a single nod.

"They were all awful. He went through so many horrible things." Chiaki said with a slight shudder. "But you know, he had a baby with his partner. And there may not be many people who think this but…I think even though he suffered, a wonderful thing was born from it. Just think about it Tori. Gay couples can actually have babies of their very own. It's like even nature itself wishes for us to be happy…and I think that even though we've had bad things happen to us…we can have a wonderful future together."

Chiaki tightened his grip around Hatori's neck, a fresh batch of tears streaking down his face.

"So please…please Tori….don't leave me…I don't know what I'd do without you….please…please Tori."

The small brunette tightly shut his eyes, holding onto Tori with all his might as he waited on sharp, anxious pins for a reply.

But when no words came, he felt a quiet sob rise in his chest. Chiaki was just about to begin crying again when he felt a light touch along the side of his face. His dark head lifted and tears of a different sort began to flow as he saw Tori's face.

The countenance usually built of steel and stone looked completely different. It was now comprised of something different, something muddled and mixed and unclear…but also incredibly honest.

Hatori's face looked completely human.

The man wasn't composed in the least. All along his features were fragments of sorrow, anger, uncertainty, guilt, affection, and the slightest hint of love all in one big mess. But in spite of that fearful heap, there was a determined softness in the man's grey eyes that made Chiaki's heart warm in contentment.

The two didn't speak, but Hatori gently leaned forward and touched his lips to Chiaki's as an answer.

And the brunette understood, opening his mouth for more.

After a quiet, gentle oral embrace, the two parted lips to stare into the muddled messes of each other's faces. And at the sight of how odd they looked and felt, Chiaki gave a quiet smile.

"You know," He murmured. "I decided on a name."

Hatori cocked his head, his eyes still uncertain, and yet intrigued.

"What?"

"Chiyuki." Chiaki said, his smile growing. And he felt another tear slip down his cheek as the edges of Hatori's mouth curled as well.

Hatori gently brought his hand up and brushed the fallen drop away, cupping Chiaki's jaw with all the love and affection he could muster.

"I like it." He replied, pulling Chiaki into a quiet hug. Chiaki let out a sob of relief, burying his face in the crook of Hatori's neck.

"I love you Tori."

"…I love you too…Chiaki."


	25. Chapter 25

Thank you all for your patience with the updates! ^_^ And for all the feedback and reads! This story is by far my most popular and I am delighted and oh so grateful.

This chapter is dedicated to my cyber seme Cerberus Revised :) who is the frosting in between my oreos.

(...oh god. that was a weird metaphor...should I even leave that in?)

But yes, she is beautiful and amazing enough to come up with the whole idea of the uke flu and let us all applaud her for helping me to spawn this angsty story.

**Love and Food, (and reviews!)**

**TBF101**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-four: Love and Nostalgia<strong>

"An-chan, could you bring me the takoyaki chips too?" Ritsu asked as he heard An puttering around in Takano's kitchen.

"Sure Rit-chan," The girl smiled, grabbing the bag off the counter and returning to the living room with more drinks and snacks. She handed Ritsu the bag and set the other containers on the coffee table before sitting down next to him on the couch.

Takano had left a while ago to make a long overdue visit to the office (and also to buy a new cell phone as he'd broken his at the hospital), so An had come over to spend some time with Onodera. The girl had been over quite a lot lately, and her presence had really helped to raise Ritsu's spirits, almost to point of normalcy, which had everyone in a good mood as well.

At the moment, the brunette was pouring over a couple pamphlets on pregnancy (though it had been tailored to include both sexes in these changing times), while An was flipping through a few bridal magazines in preparation for her wedding.

"Rit-chan, which do you like better," An suddenly asked, pointing to a couple different dresses. "Strapless or off the shoulder?"

Ritsu glanced over with a quiet smile.

"You'd be better off asking one of your friends." He said jokingly. "I can't really tell the difference."

An laughed back.

"I know, but you and Shou-chan have similar tastes, and I want to knock him off his feet when he sees me."

"We do?" Ritsu cocked his head. "Are we that much alike?"

An shrugged.

"In some ways you're very different, but in others you're not." She replied. "But sometimes he really reminds me of you. Like how he gets flustered in a large group of people." She grinned.

Onodera snorted laughingly.

"Oh!" An suddenly said. "That reminds me."

"What?"

The blonde girl smiled widely.

"Shousuke told me he wants you to be in the wedding party."

Ritsu's eyes widened.

"Huh? Really?"

"Mhmm." An nodded. "He wants you to be one of the groomsmen, since you can't exactly be my maid of honor."

While Ritsu knew he should be happy and honored to be given such a gift, he couldn't help but swallow uncomfortably.

"Umm An-chan," He said tentatively. "I'm very happy to hear that but…are you sure it's a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" The girl asked curiously.

"Well," He replied, chewing on his lower lip. "It's just… I—I wouldn't want to jeopardize anything with you and him…"

An's eyes widened as she understood.

"You mean about your pregnancy."

Onodera nodded.

"I mean…is it a good idea to let anyone know you're in contact with me? Your…your parents are close to mine and they were always just as strict when we were growing up… I just…I just don't want anything to happen to you An." He murmured, giving her a melancholy smile.

An appeared a little shocked by his disclosure, but her gaze hardened confidently.

"Well Rit-chan, if my parents and fiancé decided that I shouldn't have you be in the wedding or be in contact with you, then they would be extremely hypocritical…considering that Shousuke's best man and younger brother just had a baby with his husband."

Ritsu's mouthed parted.

"What? Really?"

An nodded, smiling elatedly as she reached over and began to rifle through her purse.

"I have a picture of them in here somewhere. But yes, Shousuke's little brother Shikijo got married to a basketball player while he was studying in America, and he just delivered his baby a month ago. Oh! Here is it."

An pulled out a small pictures and handed it to Ritsu, who immediately had to take a double look at one of the faces in the family portrait. The tall, lean muscular man was clothed in beautiful, dark chocolate skin that made his whites of his eyes and grinning smile all the more apparent. Ritsu had briefly seen African American people on world news and in airports, but never really up close, and he couldn't help but be fascinated by the different racial appearance.

Next to the black man (well more like two feet down) was a clearly Japanese man, with dark hair and a modest but happy smile who had his arm tucked around his partner's waist. And held in between the two men was a lovely baby boy with dark hair and skin with a caramel glow.

Ritsu felt a slight smile grow on his face as he compared the baby's faces to his parents, picking out eyes, ears, and noses into a meshing masterpiece of phenotype and DNA. The baby clearly was his fathers' son, and you could see by the light in their eyes just how thrilled they were to have him.

The brunette felt his free hand drift down towards his ever growing stomach as the read the names scripted along the bottom edge of the picture, Michael, Shikijo, and Mark Fraser.

"They're in Osaka right now, but they'll be coming in next month in preparation for the wedding." An explained, also smiling at the picture. "I can't wait to meet them. Little Mark is so adorable."

Ritsu nodded.

"Yeah. They all look very happy together."

An's eyes shifted over to her friend, and she couldn't help but detect a tint of sadness in Ritsu's voice, even while his face appeared calm.

"You should leave An-chan," Ritsu said, glancing over at the clock. "You'll be late for your appointment."

"Oh that's right!" The girl exclaimed, beginning to stuff her things back into her bag. "Well I'll call you later Rit-chan. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will." He replied, giving her a quick hug before she flew towards the door. But she stopped suddenly when it opened before her and a laden Takano poked his head through.

An quickly bowed, ducking out as he held the door for her.

"Sorry to miss you Takano-san!" She said.

"You too, An-san. Ja." He replied, kicking the door behind him and walking into the apartment, carrying a couple boxes.

Onodera glanced over as he set them down in the hallway with a sigh.

"What are those?"

"Books." Takano breathed, shrugging off his slightly sweaty coat. "My great uncle passed away and he left these for me so my mom mailed 'em."

"Oh." Ritsu nodded, though he couldn't help but shift energetically at the mention of new tomes.

After putting away his jacket, Takano dragged the two boxes into the living room and sat down on the couch, starting to rip through the packing tape.

When he'd finally gotten the thing open, Takano reached in and brushed aside a layer of packing peanuts, but Ritsu looked over curiously as his face lit up.

"Oh man," Takano grinned, taking a small hardcover book out. "I remember this one. I used to read it when I was a kid."

Ritsu turned his head and read the title.

"F—Ferdinand the Bull?" He said with some difficulty, as it was clearly a read with foreign origins.

Takano nodded.

"I think it's from America. Wow…I haven't read this thing in so long." He mused, flipping open the pages with an air of reverent nostalgia. Ritsu listened quietly on as he read a couple lines out loud.

"Once upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand. All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together…but not Ferdinand. He liked to sit just quietly, and smell the flowers…"

Takano flipped through to the end of the book, then set it down on the coffee table, his face still set in a content smile. He began to dig through more of the box, pulling out more tomes and looking at each of them with a quiet smile.

Ritsu scooted closer and took a large paperback off the top of the pile, glancing at the first couple of title pages. Takano glanced over and gave a light chuckle.

"Kinda feels like old times doesn't it?" He mused casually.

"Hmm?" Ritsu grunted.

"You know? Back in high school, when we would read in the library."

"Oh…yeah. Guess so." Ritsu replied, pursuing his lips at the thought. Takano's statement had technically only been half right… as he had read at the library and Ritsu was too preoccupied with stalking him to turn a single page….

He continued to read through the first couple of pages, half aware that Takano was still scrutinizing him. He only looked up when Takano made a muted grunt under his breath.

"What?" Ritsu asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Nothing." He replied. "Just noticing the way you hold your books."

"Huh?"

Takano reached forward, tapping a finger on the back of the brunette's hand.

"You clench you books really tight when you read. I always just noticed that. Even when you were reading manga in the office you would."

"Oh," Onodera replied. "Yeah, just a habit I picked up when I was younger. Well, actually more of a counter habit…"

"What do you mean?" Takano asked.

"Well," The brunette said, setting the book down on his lap. "When I was a child, I used to chew on my nails, but my mother said it was filthy. Whenever she saw me doing it she would slap my hands down to get me to stop. So I would hold things really tightly in my hands so I wouldn't bite on them, and when I took up reading it just kind of translated over."

Takano nodded in reply.

"Hmm." He said with a slight smile. "From the two minutes I saw of your mother, I guessed that she was kind of strict."

Onodera rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You have no idea." He muttered as Takano continued to listen. "She always kind of told me that the common, outside world was this awful place, and that I shouldn't try to fit into it. She kept me very sheltered, and I wondered what normal kids were like and what they did, but at the same time I was too afraid to find out. It really…it really gave me some issues. Huh, that's probably why people kept telling me I was so jumpy and awkward in school."

Takano stared at the brunette, his expression unreadable as he didn't quite know what to think himself. With the way the Onoderas had acted in the hospital, he had guessed something along these lines, but to have Ritsu tell him personally was something else.

"Hmm." He grunted. "I can see that."

Ritsu's eyes shifted over to Takano. He felt he'd just had a layer of clothing removed by his disclosure, and he didn't quite know what to do with the feeling.

"My parents were the opposite." The man suddenly murmured, staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed behind his head.

"They were always so caught up in their marital issues that they didn't have the time or energy to deal with me. If I had told them I wanted to run away and become a male stripper they probably would've given me a bus ticket and sent me on my merry way." He muttered, giving a slight chuckle at his last line.

"My high school and college years were a wreck, though you heard that from Yokozawa. I found out the year before I left for college that…my dad wasn't my biological father. Turns out my mom had been sleeping with several people when they decided to get married. You know, I bet she can't even tell me who my real dad is… That pretty much was the final straw and they got divorced. What you saw in the hospital was pretty much all our drama in a nutshell."

Ritsu stared in disbelief at the other man, and he slowly dipped his chin.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

Takano glanced at him and smiled.

"You're the last person who needs to be saying that. In fact, I don't even think you know what an impact you made on me back then."

Ritsu folded his lips together, silently battling over whether he wanted to know or not. But curiosity won over anxiety, and he creaked out a word.

"What?"

Takano leaned farther back, deciding it would be better to not look at Ritsu while he told him.

"After a lot of years of thinking things over, I discovered my main issue (well, one of them anyways) was that I never felt loved as a child. It was just like I was… there. I know that doesn't sound like a good explanation."

"No." Ritsu shook his head. "I understand. You were…just an obligation to them…" He replied, averting his eyes.

Takano nodded and continued.

"Yeah pretty much. But then in the middle of all that mess, something changed. One day, completely out of blue came along this little first year boy who blushed like a girl and flat out told me he loved me. Man, I didn't know what the hell to think…but, you know as time went on…I began to love him too."

The dark haired man turned to smile at Ritsu, only to discover that his eyes were fixed on his lap in silent contemplation. Takano eyed him for a moment, but his face was unreadable. Instead he sat up, and reached across the coffee table, fingering a stack of manuscripts he had yet to look over.

"Onodera."

"Hmm?" Ritsu grunted, still in meditation.

"How would you feel…about going back to work?"

Green eyes widened, and Ritsu finally lifted his face to meet Takano's gaze.

"…What?"

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><p><strong>fauchocolat, Lumoa, Annalisse Rubisher, fuijiwara yume projects, hinatagirl18, SangoSnow26, Otaku Frappe, Shirasu, puppyfacetwo, and Silver Rose27<strong>- thank you all for your awesome reviews and I'm so happy you all liked the Domestica chapter :) I feel so relieved to know that it was not in vain.

**cigarettesandlatte**- I hope you will continue to review, because yours was freaking awesome! ^_^ It is such an honor to be called a top 5 SIH author! Thank you thank you thank you! Hope you enjoy the Nostalgia to come and I will make it extra special for you my dear :) Arigato x 100 And thanks for giving M-Preg a shot!

**Hana**- Thank you for the awesome review! And I love that you have read all my stories and I am incredibly honored. And yes, I'm sure there's enough people on the web (especially around here) to put together a blog just to spite on Hatori XDD LOL. And I totally agree with you on the Domestica relationship. They always seem like the odd one out because while they balance each other, they also use each other in very negative ways. Said rape scene never happened in the anime (or if it did it was off screen) but it did happen in the drama CD and Domestica novels (which I have only read summaries of). I downloaded the drama cd off somewhere or other, they're pretty easy to find, but I've only ever listened to it once because the rape scene left me with kind of a sick stomach.

And Nakamura needs to draw faster :) because I want more SIH as well. (honestly! what is she doing with all this time!)

Thanks again! :)

**Cerberus Revised**- Your praise of my domestica chapter makes me blush my sweet seme :3 however yes, it will be a LONG, LOOONGG time before I write Domestica again. *cough* forever *cough * ^_^ LOL! Well here is your update and I hope you enjoyed it! Love you LOTS!

**MORE NOSTALGIA NEXT! THANKS FOR READING MY LOVELY OREOS!**

**P.s I got the idea for Ritsu's nail biting from Katlynn888's Nostalgia fic "Hime Hajime" which is the best Nostalgia lemon I have ever freaking read. And I really thought her idea really seemed like Ritsu, so I included it :)  
><strong>


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Whale Pool**

Onodera glanced across the bustling street at Marukawa, trying to keep the large, dreadful lump out of his throat. In fact, the brunette could only recall a handful of memories where he was this nervous (one of which was his senior prom in France that was a complete fucking disaster).

In fact, when Takano had first mentioned the idea of him going back to Marukawa, he had been terrified. Not only because he was carrying the flu children of the head editor, but also because he had quit and left them hanging so suddenly.

….Okay, maybe it WAS just the fact that he was carrying the flu children of the head editor, which by default meant that they had been doing the unspeakable for far longer than he would like to remember.

And when Ritsu stopped to think about it, it was perfectly logical that he would be frightened of going into a workplace, simultaneously showing his former quitting-without-even-giving-a-two-week's-notice-employee ass, outing himself as a member of the rainbow brigade, and announcing to the entire literary world that _Emerald _editor-in-chief Takano Masamune and him had fucked (…over and over).

Yeah. It made sense.

But even as he stood fearfully in the shadow of the towering building, Ritsu did not turn to run, but adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder and began to cross the street. He knew he had reason to be afraid, and yet, the sight of the familiar building brought a quiet peace to his mind that he had not felt in months.

Flu babies and fucking regardless, Onodera knew it was time to face his company.

But even still, despite his newly found courage, Ritsu fidgeted as he rode the elevator up to the fourth floor, adjusting and readjusting the large winter coat he wore to hide his baby bump. He knew he couldn't exactly keep his belly an airtight secret, but at the same time he didn't want people staring at it like some sort of netherworld portal. Especially since it had grown so much in that past few weeks.

_Ding._

The elevator made its stop at the destination floor and Ritsu walked out, his anxiety peaking as he saw familiar employees scurrying about as usual. Swallowing hard, he squared his shoulders and walked as casually as he could over to the Shoujo department, all the while hoping his face didn't look as nervous as he felt.

He goaded himself for being so worried, after all, Takano had already told them that he was coming and had made all the arrangements for him to start working part time. Everything was going to be fine. Everything was going to be—

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT A REWRITE? YOU CAN'T HAVE A REWRITE! WE HAVE TWO WEEKS TILL THE ISSUE IS OUT!"

Ritsu stopped cold as he heard a screaming voice come from the pink cubicles of the Maiden department, and as he approached he heard more various yellings and panickings that sounded very much like Kisa.

Sure enough, as Onodera entered the workspace, he immediately caught sight of the petite, dark-haired man who was strangely perched cross-legged on top of Takano's desk. The editor's face was set in an expression Ritsu knew well called "the negotiating face," which was more or less a forced smile underneath a set of "I-want-to-fucking-kill-this-author" eyes. Kisa talked hurriedly into the phone, reassuring whomever it was that their storyboard was perfect and if they didn't believe him he would get another head editor to check it out.

"Alright then Takeshiji-sensei," Kisa slurred, gritting his teeth into the biggest smile he could. "Make sure to give us a call if you have any more problems. Have a nice day…"

"AUGH!" Kisa grunted as he set the phone down, expelling a rather large breath. "Nearly got my ass cooked there."

"How did she take the news?" Mino asked cheerfully from his desk.

"Like shit." Kisa replied, shuffling through a nearby stack of papers. "Hey Hatori, do you have Yamaro's storyboard?"

"She's going to fax it at noon." The other editor replied, his eyes still fixed on his own work.

From across the room and out of sight, Ritsu watched his three coworkers, and a sudden pang took hold in his chest. Seeing the three of them in such familiar circumstances had brought back memories of his own experience here, and for the first time in months Onodera realized just how much he had missed it. Not just the work, but his fellow editors as well. And taking heart in the fact that they were still here trucking along, the brunette finally worked up his courage and walked in, immediately gaining everyone's attention.

"H—Hello everyone." Onodera smiled, raising a hand in greeting.

"I don't believe it! It's really Rit-chan!" Kisa grinned, sliding off the top of Takano's desk. Mino and Hatori also rose, gathering around their prodigal son in a welcoming party.

"Wow, it's been months." Kisa exclaimed, scratching the back of his head.

Ritsu nodded bashfully.

"Yes, it has."

"We've missed you around here." Mino added. "Just hasn't been the same."

"Really?" Ritsu asked.

"Mmm." Hatori grunted dryly, giving a single nod.

"Go on," Kisa said, cocking his head towards Ritsu's desk. "Go have a seat. Take off your coat."

At those couple of words, Ritsu struggled to keep his face straight. He had hoped to avoid revealing his condition on his first day back, but…

No. He didn't want to beat around the bush and hide anymore. He didn't want to be afraid.

So mustering up all his heart and cajones, Ritsu gave them a nod.

"Okay."

With weighted feet, Onodera trudged over to his desk and set his shoulder bag down with shaky hands. He had the feeling that every eye in the room was on him, but his shook it off, believing it just to be his nervousness. With a deep breath, the brunette slowly slid his coat off his shoulders and draped it over the back of his chair. His twin-filled baby bump jutted out the middle of his turtle necked sweater, and he kept his head slightly lowered as he moved out from the behind the chair and in view, bracing himself for whatever horror or outburst they threw his way—

"Hatori! TIME!"

Ritsu's eyes flew over to Kisa and Mino, who were looking expectantly at Hatori. The tallest editor looked dryly at his watch.

"Two minutes and forty-six seconds." He said flatly.

Kisa whistled under his breath.

"Man! None of us were even close!"

"I can't believe he took his coat off so fast." Mino grinned. "I certainly didn't see that coming."

"Uhh…excuse me," Ritsu said, craning his neck over. "But…what are you guys talking about?"

The three men immediately turned back to him, giving various smiles.

"You sure have changed Rit-chan," Kisa chuckled. "Now none of us will win the bet."

Onodera's eyes widened.

"The…bet?"

"Mhmm," Mino hummed. "We had a pool on how long it would take you to reveal your belly, but none of us expected it to happen so fast!"

"You had…_what_?" Onodera gapped, his mind enveloped in horror.

"Yeah, I bet that you'd cave in about an hour," Mino continued. "Kisa said two, and Hatori bet that you wouldn't take it off till lunch. Though Hatori probably wouldn't have won anyways because I saw Kisa turning up the thermostat earlier."

Hatori immediately cast a condescending look at his fellow editor, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey," Kisa said. "No one said it was off limits."

"That's not the point." Hatori growled.

"W—Wait wait hold on," Onodera cut in, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You mean…you all…know about…"

"You being knocked up?" Kisa replied. "Yep. Known since the beginning."

"Don't call it that." Hatori said, frowning slightly.

"Oh yes Rit-chan," Mino said cheerily. "If you're back to work part time, does that mean Takano-san will be back as well?"

At the mention of Takano, Ritsu immediately shrunk back, his mind overwhelmed with a flood of emotions and hormones. He began to panic, and his legs started to buckle under him. Hatori immediately noticed the drained pallor of his face and rushed forward, quickly sliding an arm under Onodera's shoulder.

"Go sit down Onodera." He said flatly, helping the weakened man over to his desk as he cast a disgruntled look at Kisa and Mino. "Don't pressure him so much." He said, with a frown as he pulled the chair out for Ritsu, who sank into it gratefully.

"Thank you Hatori-san." He sighed, taking a deep breath and palming his stomach.

Hatori nodded in reply, and the others gave Onodera penitent looks.

"Sorry," Kisa said, coming over to take the chair next to him.

Onodera lightly smiled in reply, but his brow was still creased.

"Sorry but…h—how on earth did you guys find out? I mean…T—Takano-san didn't say anything…did he?"

"He didn't need to." Kisa snorted. "We figured it out."

"But how?" Onodera said anxiously.

"Oh pulleaze," Kisa rolled his eyes. "You two have been making gaga eyes at each other since the day you got here! Honestly Rit-chan, we're all in a business where we lie through our teeth on a daily basis. You think none of us noticed?"

Onodera was dumbfounded by Kisa's words, and his gapping mouth attested to that.

"Well er—I…. Um listen, I know what this looks like but…Takano-san and I aren't…together…like that."

"Well we know that." Mino replied.

"Yeah really," Kisa added. "From what we gathered it's just more or less a love/hate relationship that fluxuates more than the stock market. Correct?"

Ritsu swallowed uncomfortably, but silently nodded.

"And it didn't help that Takano's cover up lie really wasn't a winning performance." Mino chuckled.

"I know right?" Kisa laughed. " Mr. 'I'm off to take care of a sick relative just a few weeks after Onodera quit due to an illness.' How cliché."

Mino and Kisa grinned, but their smiles fell when they saw an acute strain of worry and anxiety surface in Ritsu's expression.

"Umm…" Onodera murmured, his face still pale. "I know this is a lot to ask but…could you…could you guys not tell anyone just yet?"

All three of his coworkers exchanged shocked glances.

"Onodera," Hatori began. "Do you honestly think we would spread a such a personal secret of one of our coworkers, especially considering his condition?"

"Well…no but—"

"Look Rit-chan," Kisa said, raising a hand. "Even though you can't very well hide that whale belly you're carrying around, the details of it don't leave this room, and we'll make sure of that."

A breath of relief left Onodera's lips, and he felt a smile curl his mouth as he gave them a stunned and grateful bow from his chair.

"…Thank you all. Thank you so much."

"Oh don't mention it." Mino smiled.

"Yeah really," Kisa added. "But you know…while were on the subject, let me just say…. you're freaking huge."

Onodera gave a light laugh.

"I know. And I'm only twenty weeks."

Kisa and Hatori's eyes went noticeably wider.

"Whoa, seriously?" Kisa exclaimed. "You look like you're ready to burst any minute."

"Yes well," Onodera smiled. "I'm carrying twins."

At the mention of the word "Twins," Kisa's mouth twisted into a slightly horrified frown.

"…You poor bastard." He said quietly.

Onodera shrugged, giving his belly a pat.

"It's not so bad."

"At least you don't have to report it to the company." Mino smiled. "Part-timers don't have to officially notify the higher ups for time off work."

"Yes," Onodera nodded. "He—I mean uh Takano-san, told me."

"Speaking of work," Hatori mentioned as a nearby phone began to ring. "That's probably Hakai-sensei calling you back Kisa."

"Oh shit, you're right," Kisa replied, jumping out of the chair and racing over to grab the receiver. "Hatori get Onodera to work on some storyboards and then go make those copies!"

"Right," Hatori replied, going back over to his desk to retrieve a couple of folders. Onodera immediately turned around in his chair to his desk, straightening up a pile of stray papers that were lying around. The familiar sounds of pages turning, keyboards being typed on, and phones being yelled into began to fill his ears, and Onodera closed his eyes, and gave a sigh of contentment.

Despite all the shenanigans his coworkers pulled, it was great to be back.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT A REWRITE? YOU'RE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT WAS FINE! IT'S GENIUS EVEN! ARE YOU CRAZY?"

Well, somewhat at least.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow! I can't believe how much more popular this story is getting, and I am ever so grateful! ^_^ <strong>

**Thank you all for your patience with the updates, and there will be review replies next time so stick around! More Nostalgia next!**

***Bows ***

**TBF101**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Six: All is calm, All are Pregnant**

It was now early afternoon, and Onodera was preparing to go home. He gathered a few folders off his desk, suppressing a yawn as he put them in his messenger bag. A quiet conversation caught his ear and glanced over at Kisa, who was just getting off the phone with another author. Ritsu was surprised at how well Emerald was doing in Takano's absence. Kisa had stepped up as the temporary Head Editor and was actually quite skilled at the position. Considering they had only had three people editing an entire magazine for five months, Ritsu was greatly impressed.

He almost felt a little bad that he was only working part time, but as he felt a wave of fatigue engulf his balloon body, he knew that it was time to go home. Takano would be meeting him outside shortly with a taxi.

The work hadn't been easy, in fact, his coworkers were still as hard-assed as ever. They didn't make him their usual copy runner for obvious reasons, but piled their deskwork on him instead. Even still, he was shocked at how much work they had been able to get done in only half a day. And he was equally surprised at how satisfied he was. In fact, he felt simply fulfilled, a sensation he had not experienced in a long time.

"Oy Rit-chan," Kisa called from atop Takano's desk (a place he seemed to enjoy perching). "Bout time for you to go home?"

Ritsu nodded.

"Thought so," Kisa smiled. "You look like you're about ready to dock your boat."

The brunette smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry to leave so early. Will you guys be all right with everything? If you need help you can fax me a few more documents."

"Yeah right. And risk the wrath of your hormones? I think not."

"Well, Hatori-san should be back soon." Ritsu said with a bit of relief.

"Nope, he's only pulling half days too."

"What? Why?"

Kisa's eyes shifted around and he slid off the desk and approached.

"What I tell you doesn't leave this office all right?" He said with all sobriety.

Ritsu nodded confusedly as Kisa beckoned him closer.

"You're familiar with the author Yoshikawa Chiharu right?"

"Yeah, she—er he is Hatori's best selling mangaka."

A quiet smile surfaced on Kisa's face.

"Yep…and he's also nine months pregnant and ready to pop."

"What?" Ritsu mouthed in shock. "You're kidding."

"Wish I was." Kisa replied. "It was challenge to fill those spots when he came down with morning sickness. Couldn't draw for months."

"But…" Onodera stuttered, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "What does this have to do with Hatori-san?"

Kisa raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Rit-chan, considering you're having our head editor's twins, I think you would know the answer to that little enigma."

The brunette's eyes immediately went startlingly wide.

"You mean…Hatori-san's…the father?"

"Bingo."

Ritsu shook his head repeatedly, sinking back down into his chair.

"I—I can't believe this…oh my god!" He finally swore, expelling a huge breath.

Kisa chuckled.

"I know right? Who woulda thought? So anyways, Yoshikawa is preggers and should have a leaking belly button any day, so Hatori's only doing halfsies. But he still gets a crap ton of work done at home, so it's no big deal."

Ritsu's eyes furrowed. His mind was still blown by the information, but something in what Kisa had said peaked his curiosity.

"You know Kisa-san," Ritsu said, "You sure do know a lot about flu pregnancies. Have you been reading about them?"

Kisa immediately went bug eyed and whirled around, hastily shuffling some papers on the desk.

"Er uh…yeah. You know? It's a big social issue right now…I like to be up-to-date…and stuff."

"That makes sense." Onodera nodded, not pushing the issue further. "Well, I'll be back on Wednesday."

"Oh yeah, because birthing classes are on Tuesdays."

"What? How'd you know that?"

"Stab in the dark!" Kisa hurriedly stuttered. "Anyways, you should get going Rit-chan. Give Takano-san a big 'Konichiwa' for us all."

The brunette nodded uncomfortably, grabbing his coat and bag as he headed out of the office. His coat back on and his baby bump hidden, Ritsu was able to navigate the crowded hallways without getting too flustered. He did get a couple of stares as he walked, but none of them drifted down to his stomach, so the other employees probably just were surprised to see him back after so long.

But even still, Ritsu was far too thrown for a loop to register much. Hatori had gotten that male author pregnant? He recalled that Hatori had once told him they had grown up together, but their interactions had always been too business oriented for Ritsu to notice anything else. But as shocked as he was, a small piece of him felt…relieved.

To be honest Onodera was almost happy that he knew of another pregnant uke in the company. As stupid as it sounded, he had been so isolated in his condition that sometimes, he felt like the only one. And to know that there were other people here that were going through his same trials gave him immense comfort.

Now that he thought about it, Hatori had been very helpful to him today, asking him on several occasions if he needed anything. It was such a change from his normal robotic demeanor everyone in the office had been surprised. Maybe the fact that he was going to be a father had softened his stark personality.

Ritsu made it to the elevator and pushed the button, a slight smile surfacing as he waited. Even though he'd been terrified to return to work, it had turned out to be such a positive thing that he actually was disappointed he wasn't coming back till Wednesday. Maybe he could even get some more work done back at Takano's place.

_Ding._

The elevator stopped and Ritsu adjusted his bag as the door opened. But as soon as he stepped in, he realized he wasn't alone.

The only other person in the elevator was a giant of a man, with black hair and eyes of steel. And it was someone Ritsu knew well of.

"G—Good afternoon Yokozawa-san," Ritsu bowed, trying with all his might to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Yeah, sure." The sales rep muttered, not looking at the smaller man. The elevator began to move, and Ritsu grimaced. Ever since he'd gotten pregnant, they'd really begun to make him feel nauseous.

"Haven't seen you around in months."

Ritsu flinched at Yokozawa's words and hurriedly cleared his throat.

"Umm…. yes. I—I haven't been well."

Yokozawa grunted dryly, still not looking at him. Ritsu fidgeted with his bag, trying to swallow back his nausea as the elevator hummed it's way down the floors. Suddenly, the metal box jerked, throwing Onodera off his feet and stumbling straight into the taller man. Fear rising in his chest, he quickly tried to regain his footing, but a wave of sickness crashed over his head, and his found himself unable to stand. He kneeled buckled and he thought he was about to fall, when a strong arm wrapped around his chest, holding him steady.

The elevator began to move normally again and Ritsu shakily looked up, completely shocked that Yokozawa had just caught him.

"Fucking elevators…" Yokozawa snarled. "They need to get these goddamned things fixed."

Onodera put his hand out to touch the wall as he straightened up, still feeling a bit queasy.

"Th—Thank you." He stuttered.

"Don't mention—Mmm!" Yokozawa's words were abruptly cut off as the elevator jerked again, this times throwing his towards the smaller man. In a hurry, Onodera quickly put both arms out and planted them in the middle of Yokozawa's torso, stopping them both from falling on top of each other. But when he did, he felt something that blew his mind wide open.

An unmistakable bump.

Feeling the other man's hands on his stomach, Yokozawa immediately jerked away, his face angry and horrified.

Ritsu leaned against the wall, his eyes wide and his mind unable to comprehend what he had felt. But as tactfully as he could, he swallowed and smiled apologetically at the taller man.

"Uhh, thanks again, Yokozawa-san. For catching me."

The taller man's eyes widened briefly, and his expression was anything but trusting. But when he saw that Onodera had nothing more to say, he turned to fix his glare on the doors.

_Ding._

The elevator finally made it to the bottom floor and the two gratefully stepped out. Onodera watched as Yokozawa headed down the hall without another word, his gait hurried as a storm.

Ritsu watched his back for a few seconds, then turned towards the main entrance, slightly shaking his head. It seemed there were more pregnant men in the company than he'd originally thought.

No wonder Marukawa wasn't getting anything done.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this update took so long, been a little caught up in my other stories. But I hope to get the next chapter out in less time. <strong>

**One more chappy of Nostalgia, then we'll have one with both couples :)**

**As always, thank you all for your awesome possum reviews! You don't know how much each one means to me ^_^**

**Love you guys so much! **

**TBF101**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Washing Away**

Outside Marukawa, it had begun to lightly drizzle, but Onodera chose to stand on the sidewalk instead of in the lobby. His cheeks had become slightly flushed from his nauseating elevator ride, and the cool air helped to soothe them. He had gotten out a bit early, so Takano wouldn't be here for another five to ten minutes. Sticking his hands in his pockets, Onodera leaned against the brick wall, staring up at the cloudy grey sky.

Truth be told, he was still astounded by what he'd found out just moments before. Yokozawa was pregnant? If that doctor Kusama hadn't told him about the existence of semukes, he would've have believed it. Even still, it was a lot to take in.

And the most prevalent question on his mind was who had fathered that baby. Things had been so messy for so long between Takano, Yokozawa, and himself that he had doubted whether there would ever be an all encompassing solution.

Well, to be honest, Ritsu had always thought one particular solution was obvious. He sighed, bowing his head slightly. Sometimes he really didn't understand it. Takano and Yokozawa always seemed like such good friends, they talked and laughed and even yelled on equal grounds. So…why had Takano chosen him over Yokozawa? The salesman was obviously the better choice. After all, Takano and Ritsu barely had any moments of understanding between them, all they ever really did was fight. Why did Takano want him? He wasn't anything extraordinary. Takano rarely praised him. Their relationship, if they even had one, was a mess. It didn't make sense. So…why?

This was a question that had weighed heavily on Onodera's mind for quite a while, and it's sharp points seemed to dig deeper when he and Takano slept together. In his mind, the logic just didn't follow. Unless…

Unless, Takano meant what he said about…loving him. Even though he had long tried to bury his memories of high school, Ritsu could still recall a snippet of the attraction that he felt for Saga-Sempai. Just the way he stood, his face, his eyes. No one else like him. No aura remotely similar.

Could…could Takano possibly feel the same way about him?

The thought sent a sharp cut to his battered heart, and an endless amount of questions that rose in his throat to choke him. He quickly swallowed, letting the troubling enigma wash away with the rain. But not a second later, another sensation came to him, this time a soft flutter from his stomach. Ritsu unbuttoned his coat, touching his hand to his baby bump. He felt the babies kick again at his touch, and in the raining storm of his emotions, moisture began to pool in his eyes. He held his stomach with both hands, and his mouth curled into a melancholy smile. Ritsu was a little bit wary of how emotional he'd become lately at even the tinniest thing, but right now he felt such overwhelming comfort at how connected he was to his twins that he couldn't hold back.

He swallowed back a lump in his throat, still smiling as he leaned down and whispered,

"I love you."

Just the release of those words brought warmth to Ritsu's heart, and he spoke again as the twins silently shifted.

"Can you hear me babies? I love you…so, so much…"

A drop of rain struck his cheek and Onodera lifted his eyes towards the billowy sky, the emptiness in his heart slightly filled…

But he froze as he heard a dark chuckle coming from up the street. He dropped his hands as he saw a large man just a few yards up the sidewalk, and his face was anything but friendly. Onodera rebuttoned his coat, his mind fully alerted to the stranger's movements.

"Hey faggot!"

Ritsu flinched as the words hit him and the man began to approach. He felt some sort of adrenaline rise in his head, but it wasn't fear. More like, an instinct.

"Did you play pussy to some meathead, cocksucker? Gonna pop out some faggot babies?" The man taunted, only a few feet away. Onodera's eyes narrowed, and he began to search around for an exit. Even though normally he'd be scared out of his mind, he felt strangely calm, and he also felt enraged. This guy had absolutely no right to talk about his children like that.

But rather than bite back, Onodera squared his shoulders and said nothing. It was pointless to argue with a person of such low caliber, and somehow he sensed that yelling back would only escalate the man's vendetta into something violent.

"Hey cocksucker!"

Ritsu glanced at the man coolly, but as the stranger began to step towards him, he knew that it would be wise of him to get back in the building. But…if he turned his back, that would leave him wide open. What if he got shoved to the ground and fell on his stomach? What if something happened to the babies?

"You know, I keep seeing more and more faggys around here," The stranger spat. "And I'm sick of it. Why don't you all just do us a favor and go run in front of a truck? It's not like we'd lose anything valuable. You hear me bitch?"

Onodera swallowed angrily at the man's words, but with his position, he was powerless to do anything. But rather than crumble under the threat, Ritsu stood up to meet it, looking the man in the eye with a boldness he'd never had before.

"Excuse me sir."

Both men's eyes were drawn towards the new comer, who approached from the opposite direction and also didn't look that friendly. However it wasn't Ritsu, but the man she was glaring at. She was a slightly taller woman with a long black braid and an unbreakable air of confidence about her. In other words, she looked pissed, which seemed to anger the man further.

"This ain't none of your business lady." The guy spat. But his eyes widened as she let out a low chuckle, smiling sweetly.

"Oh I believe you're mistaken sir," She said coolly. "You see, I'm a member of the human race, and when I see a fellow member of the human race acting like a complete intolerant lowlife asshole, I make it my business to correct them."

"What did you call me?" The man gapped in shock.

"Did I stutter?" The woman replied. "I believe I said an intolerant backwards chauvinistic douche scumbag of a man who is only strong enough to prey on people half his size! And you know what asshole? There are people in this society who won't stand for you acting like an ignorant shithead so I highly suggest you take your goddamned fucking ass and kick it back to whatever cockroach infested hovel you came from before I do it for you!"

Ritsu's mouth flat out dropped at the woman's razor sharp words, but he wasn't the only one. In spite of the fact that the man was much larger than her, he had begun to shrink in fear at her tone and took a step back. But as he did, he felt the presence of a fourth person standing directly behind him.

"One more thing," The fourth spoke as the man whirled around. Takano's fist shot through the air and punched the guy straight in mouth, knocking him back into the brick wall. The man didn't need more encouragement and quickly turned tail. Ritsu watched him go with slight shock.

"Are you all right dear?" The woman asked, her gaze now soft.

"Er—yes," Ritsu replied. "I'm—I'm fine. Th—Thank you very much Ma'm."

"Oh no need to thank me," She smiled. "I take great pleasure in correcting ignorance. Will you be okay?"

"Umm yes," Ritsu nodded, glancing at Takano, who was still eyeing the distant man like a bloodthirsty hawk.

"Good," She replied. "…If don't mind me asking, how far along are you? With your pregnancy, I mean."

"Twenty weeks." Ritsu smiled, patting his baby bump.

"Oh wow," The woman smiled. "That's wonderful. My own son is around sixteen, though he's still quite small."

Ritsu's smile grew and he gave her a slight bow.

"Thank you again."

"Not a problem." She replied, bowing back. "Good luck with your family."

Onodera watched her leave and was surprised to see her go in through the Marukawa entrance. He looked over at Takano, whose brow was furrowed in contemplation.

"Takano-san, do you… recognize her from somewhere?" Ritsu asked.

"I think so…" Takano replied. "And if my hunch is correct, you just got saved by a _very_ famous author."

Ritsu's eyes widened and he was about to reply when his words were interrupted by an untimely sneeze.

"Kachoo!" He sniffed, pressing his nose to his damp sleeve. Takano looked at him worriedly, placing a hand on the brunette head.

"You're soaked. How long have you been standing out here?"

"Not that long, just a few minutes."

"You should have called me," Takano replied, wrapping an arm around his lower back and ushering him over to a waiting taxi. "You shouldn't be out here in the rain."

Onodera nodded, glancing one last time at the Marukawa entrance before climbing into the car.

* * *

><p>Next up we have the birthing classes with both couples and a whole bunch of surprise cameos :) Hope you stick around!<p>

**Fauchocolat, Lumoa, Puppyfacetwo, Miyuki Meiru, Aria, KiyameHikari-chan- thank you all for your awesome reviews! you all ROCK! ^_^**

**Hinatagirl18**- Glad you liked the part with Yokozawa :) baby genders will be up, but after a bit more angst first.

**Namna-dono and CreatedinFyre7**- Glad you guys are so interested in Kisa and Yokozawa. Unfortunately I will not be getting more into them because they are actually taken care of. If you want to know more about their situations I highly suggest reading the Dinner Party chapters 40-47 in the original Uke Flu by Cerberus Revised. She's done a marvelous job with them.

**Kairichin**- As I explained before in a previous chapter, yes there are incongruities with the storylines because this is two authors trying to mesh a ton of couples together as well as trying to make our timelines agree, which was just not possible. This is a pretty complicated story, and I thank everyone for having the patience to deal with bits of crappy plotline here and there.

**Cerberus**- I can say with certainty that writing Hatori will not make me like him more *goes to find Uranus bound rocket and rolls of duct tape *

Oh sweet dog, your praise makes me blush ^_^ so happy your enjoyed Kisa as well as my elevator angst. Hope to see more of your pregger boys soon, but then again masterpieces always take ample amounts of time :) Love you lots!

**With love to everyone!**

**TBF101**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Closure**

The next day, Onodera and Takano were once again in a car as Takano drove them across town to a flu clinic where the birthing classes would be held. Ritsu stared out the window as he rode, still working on the other half of his lunch. Inwardly, he was grateful for the excuse not to talk, even though the silence between them had been less strained lately. But the drive was long and he was feeling a little tired today, and so was very content to munch instead. Though as he rode, he did ponder Takano's recent actions. Ever since the incident yesterday with the homophobe, Takano hadn't let him out of his sight and had announced that he was now going to drive Ritsu everywhere.

While he could view this as stifling and selfishly overprotective, Onodera had instead merely nodded. To be honest, the fight had shaken him deeply, and despite his past inclinations was actually a bit grateful for the offer. He had realized first hand that he couldn't protect his babies himself, and if it would keep them safe, he would do anything.

Takano glanced at Onodera out of the corner of his eye, his eyebrows making another trip halfway up his forehead as he saw the brunette put away at least another eight hundred calories. Truth be told, he'd never seen an uke eat that much…or a seme for that matter…

But he shrugged it off, just glad Onodera was back on his feet, physically and mentally. Other than the run in with that fucker, Ritsu had had a positive day back at work and was beginning to act more like himself.

Takano slightly shook his head. No, not exactly like himself. In fact, the farther he got into his pregnancy, the more he began to act unlike himself. He couldn't quite explain it, but Ritsu was changing. Before his trip to the hospital, Onodera had been hysterical and difficult, but after that….

As much as he didn't want to think about that mess, Takano had to admit that Ritsu and him facing their parents together had provided a least a bit of closure for them. The wounds of their childhood had been struck by their hateful words, but now that they were adults, they could begin to think about those wounds and put them more in perspective.

And by the looks of things, Ritsu had done just that. Ever since he'd been disowned by his mother, he seemed…calmer, more sure of himself. That hissing of self-destructive critical thinking he had seemed to dull as the days passed, shrinking from a coiling snake to a house fly.

Even still, the new taste was still bitter on Takano's tongue. While Ritsu had reached self actualization with his condition and his impending role as a birth father, the relationship between the two of them had gone absolutely nowhere.

Not that it hadn't changed. In fact, their relationship had shifted beyond the shallow state of high school, but it hadn't grown far. After the hospital visit, Ritsu's attitude towards Takano had dissolved itself of malice, but it was likely that his screaming anger was a result of him being angry at himself, and the condition he had no control of.

Now that Takano thought about it, it was no wonder Ritsu had been so reluctant to accept his feelings for Takano (whatever they were) before, with critical parents just waiting for him to make a mistake.

But while he was no longer angry or afraid, he still held back. Even though they were still both living together, their actions were stagnant, with Ritsu accepting Takano's help but little more. And to be honest, the current state of things was killing Takano. At least when Onodera was mad at him he could sort of gauge his feelings. He understood anger and it's implications, but indifference was a horse of a different color, and Takano simply did not know how to handle it. The unchanging atmosphere reminded him far too much of his childhood, and he was having difficulty coping.

He glanced at Onodera again and swallowed hard. As much as his inwards screamed to ask Onodera what he thought about their future, he bit his tongue, knowing that an inquiry could spark the brunette's tendency towards nervous retaliation. Slow steps were the key. They had managed to get through some turmoil, and he just had to be patient.

But patience was something that Takano Masamune didn't exactly excel at.

"Takano-san?"

"Hmm?" Takano grunted, shaken out of his thoughts.

"We're here." Ritsu replied, nodding to the left side of the street where the Flu clinic was. The classes would be held here since the regular communities centers and hospitals refused to offer them.

Once they were parallel parked next to the clinic, Takano got out, walking around and helping Onodera out of the car. Ritsu let Takano take his hand without a fuss and climbed out, breathing a sigh as he maneuvered his whale belly with a bit of difficulty.

"We're going to have to get you a sedway." Takano said jokingly, reaching into the back of the car for Ritsu's bag. Surprisingly, the brunette laughed quietly at the remark, gesturing to take his laden bag from Takano.

"I'll carry it." Takano intervened, heading towards the entrance before Ritsu could object. Onodera shrugged submissively (as his back hurt like a mother) and followed, his eyes impassive as he looked at the front sign. This was the very clinic that had told him six months ago that he was carrying flu children, and this was the first time he had returned. Originally, he'd thought he would be a little uncomfortable being back, but surprisingly, he was able to view the place with solemn clarity.

He followed Takano up the sidewalk and the two immediately saw a sign that read "Birthing Classes" with an arrow that pointed around the side of the building. The two headed around the corner and found an open back door, as well as a couple of tall men standing behind a fence at the perimeter of the back parking lot, chatting and smoking. Takano immediately felt a craving stir as he smelled billowing smoke and he handed the bag to Onodera.

"I'll be right in." He said. Ritsu nodded and headed inside. Takano crossed the expanse and concrete towards the group, pulling out a cig as he walked. Two men glanced over as he approached and it was immediately apparent that they were both extremely wealthy. One was roughly the size of a meteor, a giant of a man with brown hair and a dark suit. The other was just as tall, but had black hair, cunning eyes, and a fur lined overcoat.

However, their adorned appearances had little impact on the confident editor. He had dealt with more than his share of rich people in the business, and approached with casual prowess.

Takano reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter, exhaling his first puff of smoke as he leaned against the fence. The two men eyed the confident editor with interest, and Takano spoke.

"Here for the classes?" He commented, taking another drag.

"Of course." The black-haired one replied. "What's your name stranger?"

"Takano Masamune." He replied. "Yours?"

"Asami Ryuuichi."

Though his face didn't change, Takano took a double take at the name, as it had been in the papers quite a bit recently. It was rumored there was a huge scandal involving a bunch of criminal warlords, though none of the authorities had much evidence to go on except a few pictures.

Instead of reacting, Takano merely nodded and glanced at the other, who was eyeing the doorway to the clinic irritably.

"Kanou Somuku." He said bluntly, tossing his cigarette butt down onto the concrete and crossing his gorilla arms across his chest. Takano inwardly shrugged and puffed his own smoke, standing with the two strangers in relative silence. When he had finished, he turned to head back across the parking lot when he caught sight of two more people in front of the building. Two very tall, very built men, one with wild golden locks, and the other with black hair and an unmistakable scowl…

Takano paced across the concrete, his face completely stunned as his thoughts swirled like a vortex. There was no way in hell. It couldn't be true. Not in a million years…

But as he approached he heard two voices that just couldn't be anyone else.

"Yokozawa?"

The dark haired man turned at the sound of Takano's voice and his eyes all but exploded out of their sockets. The fair-haired man also turned and as Takano thought, it was Kirishima Zen, the head editor of _Japun_ and the Shounen department. Needless to say, it was a little hard to tell who was more surprised to see whom.

"M—Masamune?" Yokozawa stuttered, his face paling in horror and embarrassment.

"Y—Yokozawa?" Takano spoke back, still shaking his head. "What are you…doing here—"

"Takano-san." The three men turned as Onodera stuck his head out of the door. "The class is about to…"

Onodera's sentence cut off as he caught sight of the trio outside, and he immediately swallowed hard. But as he glanced from face to face, he stopped to ruminate. While Takano was shocked and Kirishima solemn, Yokozawa just looked…scared. Ritsu titled his head, and empathy began to fill his chest as he stared at the normally unshakable sales rep's anxious and embarrassed eyes. But surprisingly, a certain emotion was absent. As Yokozawa stared at Takano, he didn't look envious or indignant, as he usually was. The change in his face puzzled Ritsu, but the equation finally clicked as he noticed Kirishima stretched out his arm and place his hand on the small of Yokozawa's back, lifting his chin and staring at Takano fearlessly. Takano's eyes slowly shifted from Yokozawa's face to Kirishima's hand, and finally to the bump that graced his old friend's firm torso.

Seeing how uncomfortable his scrutiny was making Yokozawa, Ritsu finally stepped forward, tapping Takano's shoulder and gaining his attention.

"Takano-san," Ritsu said calmly. "It's not polite to stare."

Yokozawa's eyes flickered in shock, and Takano momentarily looked bashful for his gawking.

"And the class is about to start. You should come inside." Ritsu said, giving the other pair slight bow before turning to go back in. Takano followed him almost immediately, giving the most awkward nod he had ever given to the two before going in. He caught up with Ritsu, combing a hand through his hair roughly.

"I don't believe it…I don't fucking believe it."

Ritsu raised an eyebrow somewhat indignantly.

"What exactly is so strange about it Takano-san? After all it can happen to anyone. Kusama-san told us all about semukes at the hospital."

"But it just can't be right. Yokozawa is a seme through and though…"

"How would you know?"

"Because we…" Takano stopped short, catching his sentence before it went to a topic he _really_ didn't want to discuss.

"Because?" Ritsu said.

"Nothing…" Takano replied, quickly ushering Onodera into the room before he could ask any more questions.

* * *

><p>Yes, yes yes. I know it's been forever. Sowy :3 Been super busy and this is actually my first update in an entire week. Plus my gajillion pets (both old and new) all decided to go bonkers this week so I've had my hands full.<p>

Thank you all so much my awesome readers (both old and new) for your reviews! :) They really mean the world to me and I'm so pumped that you're all so pumped! THANKS A MILLION YOU WONDERFUL READERS!  
>New chapter soon! Kisses!<p>

Love,

TBF10

P.s. Oh yes, a bit of TBF101 news. In order to help quell my overwhelming fangirl love of JR's Usagi, I have started a blog in his honor. You can follow my ramblings on him at cultofthehornyrabbit dot tumblr dot com. Hope to see you guys there :)


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: 'Normal' People**

Hisashi glanced around the large room where the birthing classes were being held, trying not to let his mouth drop. He and Yuu had gotten there quite early and were sitting on one of the gym mats that had been provided, watching the other couples come in. But the people that entered weren't exactly the kind they had been expecting.

Now, Yuu and Hisashi had never been ones to indulge in the stereotypes that came with the gay pregnant territory, like the "uke/seme" line and the physical differences implied (mainly height), but as they saw some of the more stark couples come in, they were blatantly aware that some of those truisms weren't without founding.

The greatest example of this was when a wealthy man who looked like a brick wall stormed in with a blue-eyed blonde even tinnier than Hisashi. The two already stuck out like sore thumbs, and their presence became all the more impending when two suited guards with identical faces came in behind them.

Yuu and Hisashi had exchanged a somewhat weird glance with each other, and that same glance was repeated as yet _another_ rich guy entered with a bodyguard entourage and a very unhappy looking uke. Said uke had wild blonde hair and the expression of someone running from a pack of wolves. Despite his belly being pretty big, he looked incredibly fit, and the way his eyes shifted about he looked like he was trying to make a break for the door.

But he wasn't the only one. In fact as more and more couples came in, which either the seme or the uke looking pissed (or in some cases both), Hisashi leaned over and quietly whispered to Yuu.

"Are we the only normal people here?" He murmured, his expression a little shocked. Yuu chuckled under his breath and rolled his eyes, even though he was still a little perturbed. When the two of them had come in, one of the instructors had given Yuu a questioning look that he knew well. The brunette had long experienced his plight of not being considered a seme because of his average height, but even still, he was slightly pissed. After all, there was that expression "It's not the size, it's how you use it" to consider.

"I wouldn't exactly label the two of us 'normal.'" Yuu smiled back. Hisashi snorted, readjusting himself against the wall. Yuu noticed a bit of discomfort in the blonde's face as he shifted, and his brow narrowed.

"Hisashi, I'm going to make you take one of those pillows." Yuu said, gesturing to an untouched stack of pillows and blankets at the front of the room.

"No," The blonde retorted, scrunching up his nose.

"Why not?" Yuu moaned.

"Nobody else is using them," Hisashi muttered, folding his arms. "I don't wanna be the only one."

"That's ridiculous." Yuu replied. "Look, your back hurts so who gives a fuck about what everybody else is doing?"

Hisashi deliberated for a moment before his eyes lit up with a plan. Stretching out his arms, he pulled his striped hoodie over his head, rolled it into a ball, then shoved it behind him, giving Yuu a satisfied smile. The brunette shook his head, but didn't argue with him about it as he normally would have done. Lately Yuu had been even more lax with his boyfriend than normal, practically catering to his every whim. And for good reason: Hisashi's hormones were starting to go crazy, and it was really starting to freak him out. While Hisashi was no longer constantly depressed, he'd begun to have extremely precarious moods lately. The most prime example of this was three days ago when they had watched a movie Hisashi normally would've loved. However at a particular part where a dog died, the blonde had erupted in hysterical tears and run from the room. Yuu had spent the next two hours trying to console him while he bawled violently and hugged Steve like there was no tomorrow.*

So besides walking on eggshells half the time, Yuu was just trying to stay ahead of the weird turns. One minute Hisashi was crying, the next he was seeing how many sandwich cookies he could stack on his belly before they fell over. Even still, he'd take the oddities over a hospital visit any day. Plus, he figured that this was just one of the everyday things that came with a flu pregnancy. Or…any pregnancy for that matter.

Another group of men entered through the back door and as Yuu peered dryly at the crowd, two familiar faces caught his eye. He watched as Takano and same editor he had been carrying at the hospital came in, however it was blatantly obvious that there was quite a bit more of him than last time. Yuu let out a slight whistle under his breath. If Hisashi's belly was that big he'd probably fall over from the weight distribution.

Suddenly, Yuu saw all eyes turn towards the door and several mouths drop. The brunette peered carefully through the crowd and his eyebrows rose as he saw four extremely tall men enter, all of whom he recognized. The first was none other than their head editor Kirishima Zen, and a slight smile actually curved Yuu's features as he saw his coworker. But when the second man appeared, Yuu and Hisashi exchanged their third glance of the day. Yokozawa Takafumi entered the room more than nervously, his usual scowl tainted with anxiety. The other occupants of the room were entirely stunned by their appearance, and all eyes drifted towards the bulge gracing his torso. However, upon his entry, Yuu merely looked at Hisashi and whispered, "You owe me a thousand yen."

But the awkward glances immediately shifted as the other two men entered in behind them, and their faces were anything but nervous. Hisashi poked Yuu in the shoulder as they saw doctor Kusama enter, lighting up the room with genuine smile. Behind him came a much younger man that both of them recognized from a bookstore near Marukawa, a handsome golden blond with several dozen piercings.

Needless to say, all eyes in the room were on the four painfully obvious semes and the three baby bumps that accompanied them. Clearly, the definition of "normal" had shifted once again.

"Is that mat taken?"

Yuu shook himself out of his thoughts as a familiar voice spoke. Takano and the shorter editor stood in front of them, gesturing to the mat next to them by the wall.

"No," Yuu replied. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," The other editor replied graciously, giving them a slight bow before maneuvering his giant belly down to the floor. Hisashi peeked around Yuu's shoulder and silently thanked god that he wasn't that huge.

"It's good to see you Takano-san," Yuu said casually, nodding to the senior editor.

"Likewise," Takano replied, sitting down next to his partner. Yuu turned to the chestnut brunette next.

"I'm sorry, I seemed to have forgotten your name."

The editor smiled in response.

"Oh no, don't worry about it…I seemed to have forgotten yours as well. I'm Onodera Ritsu."

"That's right," Yuu nodded in comprehension. "Yanase Yuu."

"Oh yes," Onodera replied. "I know we've met before but it's been quite a while. I haven't seen you around the Shoujo department lately."

"Yes," Yuu answered. "I used to hop departments frequently but now I'm much more fixated on the Shounen department with Ijuuin-Sensei."

Onodera nodded back, then glanced over at Hisashi. He remembered seeing the curly blonde at several Marukawa parties (who could forget _that_ hair?), but had never personally met him. Hisashi noticed his glance and gave him a shy smile.

"Onodera-san, Takano-san," Yuu said. "This is my boyfriend Araki Hisashi. He's also one of Ijuuin's assistants."

"Nice to meet you." Hisashi added quietly, a little bashful around strangers (even pregnant ones).

"It's nice to meet you too." Onodera smiled back, equally modest. "…How…far along are you?"

"Seventeen weeks." Hisashi replied. "You?"

"Twenty." Onodera said. Noticing the look of disbelief Araki was giving him, he quickly added. "I'm having twins."

"Congrats." Yuu said, nodding to Takano, who silently nodded back.

Just then the two instructors came forward and the couples cut off their conversations. The class began in short order, and surprisingly it was quite different from what they were expecting. Rather than the kind of cuddle/nurture atmosphere of female birthing classes, the two instructors were more like good cop/bad cop, the latter of which used so many sports metaphors that Hisashi was sorely confused (being well versed in anime but little else).

Even still, both Yuu and Takano were grateful for the insight into flu births, the logistics of which were way off their assumptions. The two semes went through the motions with their ukes, doing the breathing exercises and all that jazz, and simultaneously becoming more aware that they were going to be fathers. Sure they had talked about the birth a bit, but actually planning it out brought their situations to a whole other level.

And even while he worked with Onodera, Takano kept his eye on Yanase and his boyfriend, watching their interactions. And after all the confusing and hellish relationships he had been through (and was still going through), looking at them was surreal. They seemed so close, so comfortable with each other. In fact they were one of only a few couples that held hands during the lecture, and in spite of his tenacity, Takano actually felt quite a bit jealous of them. He knew that he would never go for someone like Hisashi, but even still, he could see why they worked so well together.

The blonde Araki was small, quiet, and somewhat mysterious, and yet that fragile submissiveness also made him quite alluring, as if he were just content to be his partner's shadow.

Yanase on the other hand, had always struck Takano as somewhat of a prowler, almost like himself. However even if Yanase was every bit as confident and strong as himself or even Yokozawa, he had a key difference in his physical appearance. What some might have viewed as a detriment was actually quite an effective weapon. Yanase was often underestimated by his peers, but because of that was always able to shock them when it came time to deliver.

All in all, Takano was surprised at how well they complimented each other, but the more he thought about it, the more some of his old restlessness began to stir. He glanced at Onodera who was once again practicing the breathing exercise.

Would things ever be better between them? Because even if they had two babies coming, they certainly weren't ready to raise them together. And that thought was a heavy weight on Takano's mind.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew, been working all day to get this one done :) After all the support you guys have shown during our little lemon crisis, you guys deserve it.<strong>

**First: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT**. I have found a new home for my lemon fics at yourfanfiction dot com, which is a new site but has a wonderful layout and an MA rating. I have begun moving my lemons there. As for this story, since I don't want it to get deleted and lose all your awesome reviews, I am going to take down that one lemon that was near the beginning. Eventually I will get the entire story up on the new site and everything will be hunky dory. However I will still be posting everything (except lemon chapters) here as well. That will mean that I will have to post the updates in two different places, which I apologize for. But believe me, this is equally inconvenient for all of us, especially considering I have an Artistica lemon right around the corner. Sigh...oh well. Blame this craphole.

**In short: you can read the M rated Uke Flu here, but to read the MA Uke Flu, you go to the other site. Once again I say sorry and fuck you fanfiction dot net. The same thing will be happening with "Tone Deaf Beauty" and "Forever." **

**Notes on this chapter: **

Now, one thing I need to explain for this chapter is that it's a crossover point for my story and Cerberus' original Uke Flu. The birthing classes were all her idea, as well as the Finder and Okane Ga Nai cameos :) So thank her for that.

And since I ended up writing my birthing class chapter before she did, I had to make a few adjustments, such as not including the actual lecture. I do this because my dear dog is actually going to write that in detail in her story and I didn't want to steal her flu thunder :) So you can all have a free taste of the action right now, and you'll get the full sundae when she writes hers. I look forward to it as much as you guys are.

*The whole crying hysterically at the sight of a dog dying in a movie actually did happen to my high school art teacher's wife when she was pregnant with their second child and they went to go see "I Am Legend." Funny how I can remember that story but I don't remember anything he actually taught us in class...

**Anyways, thank you all once again for your awesome support and I look forward to your reviews! ^_^**

**With Love, **

**TBF101**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty: Super Horse  
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The first of the birthing classes ended in short order, and Yuu and Hisashi began to gather their things to depart.

"It was good to see you again Takano-san, Onodera-san." Yuu said, shrugging on Hisashi's backpack as the blonde pulled his hoodie back on, though his stomach jutted so far it made the tightly stretched front pocket unusable.

"Likewise, Yanase-san," Onodera bowed as Takano helped him with his coat. "Will we be seeing you around the apartment complex Araki-san?"

The blonde (quite used to Yuu doing all the talking in awkward situations like these) froze for a second and thought before he replied.

"Um…actually I'll be moving out soon." He replied sheepishly, smiling at Yuu.

"We plan to move in together before the baby's born." Yuu enlightened, also with a smile. "It's just a matter of finding the time to clean out his place."

"I see." Onodera replied, having been in the situation quite a few times himself. "Well, good luck to you…and your new family."

The couple bowed to Onodera and Takano before heading out, but as they neared the door, Yuu saw a familiar man give him a wave, and he took Hisashi's hand and steered them down an adjoining hall where the bathrooms were.

"Kirishima-san," Yuu smiled. "Good to see you."

The golden-haired editor grinned at his coworker, and the two shook hands.

"Likewise, Yanase-kun. I hear you'll be coming back to work this week. I greatly look forward to it, and I know Ijuuin-sensei does as well."

"Thank you Kirishima-san," Yuu replied. "I as well."

"And Araki-kun!" The editor exclaimed, casting a beaming smile at the more sheepish assistant. "I see your pneumonia went and got you pregnant."

Knowing full well that Kirishima only intended humor in the comment, Hisashi smiled quietly.

"I guess, Kirishima-san."

"It's a pity you'll be on paternity leave for quite awhile," The editor commented. "Everyone misses you at the office. Marukawa is losing major profits because you're not around to empty the coffee vending machines on our floor."

Yuu burst into laughter and even Hisashi chuckled at the man's wit. But a small question nagged at Yuu's mind and he lowered his voice.

"Kirishima-san, just so I'm on the same page as everyone else…how many people know the truth about Hisashi's condition?"

"Well Yuu," The editor replied, also serious. "It's under company policy that situations like this are to be kept in the utmost of secrecy…so naturally, everyone already knows."

At the news, Hisashi clamped a hand over his forehead and Yuu let out a heavy sigh.

"In fact," Kirishima added. "Your four female coworkers keep begging me for your address so they can send you gift baskets."

Yuu sighed again.

"And I have to go back _to that?_"

Kirishima shrugged.

"Give them a little credit. Some dick from accounting was badmouthing flu pregnancies at the water cooler and they all politely told him that four inch heels were a very effective weapon against people who had nothing better to do than gossip and slander other employees."

Yuu smirked and Hisashi rolled his eyes.

"…Sounds like them." He murmured, patting his baby bump as it gave an untimely growl. "Yuu can we grab food on the way home?"

His boyfriend was about to reply in the affirmative, when the restroom door opened and Yokozawa stepped out, still looking quite ruffled. And when he saw two of Marukawa's employees talking to Kirishima, he had to work very hard to keep from exploding. Ever the businessman, he masked his face and straightened up, walking over to the group. Although he had never personally met the two, he knew they were part of Ijuuin's team and worked closely with his partner, so he made an effort to stay professional.

"Ah, Takafumi," Kirishima smiled as Yokozawa approached. "I'd like you to meet two assistants in my department. This is Yanase-kun, and Araki-kun."

The three exchanged bows and Yokozawa discretely scanned the couple. And in spite of the incredible discomfort he was going through in this environment, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. Having gotten more than his share of stares (being with a another seme), he was slightly intrigued at the fact that this couple was seemingly made up of two ukes. However, having impeccable instincts for character, he immediately sensed that there was more to the brunette than met the eye.

"Nice to finally meet you in person, Yokozawa-san," Yuu spoke as they all exchanged business cards. "Your high reputation precedes you."

Yokozawa nodded dryly.

"Likewise, Yanase-san. The authors of the manga departments all speak highly of you as well."

"Well then, Takafumi," Kirishima said. "I'd say it's about time for us to be going. I look forward to seeing you at HQ Yanase-kun."

"Thank you," Yuu replied, taking Hisashi's hand again.

"And good luck to you, Araki-kun," The editor smiled. The blonde nodded, and then did something that surprised the entire group.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Yokozawa-san," Hisashi said, bowing again. "I look forward to seeing you at work sometime if our circumstances permit."

Yokozawa's brow flickered in surprise. From his silent demeanor it was obvious Araki was shy, and he never expected him to be so forward. There certainly was more to this couple than met the eye. After the editor and the sales rep had departed, Yuu turned and gave Hisashi a raised eyebrow.

"Were you being sarcastic or are your hormones making you super duper friendly now?"

Hisashi shrugged indifferently and stared at the floor, but at the same time, a devious smile lit up his face.

"Yuu, I have been waiting months to meet that man."

Yuu's face grew slightly move bewildered.

"…Why?"

"Because," Hisashi smiled. "He makes all the people at Marukawa that I can't stand _absolutely miserable._ To put it simply Yuu, the dark horse is my hero."

Yuu blinked a couple of times, not quite sure if he should also be amused or scared the fuck out of his mind that Hisashi had been slightly more evil than he gave him credit for. But, ever socially slick, Yuu merely sighed and took his boyfriend's hand.

"Come on, sacred vessel. Let's go home and paint."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello flu lovers! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been able to update :( My health sucks at the moment, plus I'm a little busy...cuz I got myself a girlfriend ^.^<strong>

**This chapter (like many others...) was supposed to be longer but this was a good cutoff point and I thought I should at least give you guys SOMETHING for being so patient.  
><strong>

**But thank you all for faithfully reviewing and we're even getting some new people! I'm going to reply to all your reviews but I have to make this quick because my little baby brat rat Shinobu is out of his cage and eating my headphones. (BU-CHIN NNOOOOO! ) **

**Puppyfacetwo, Meggels, Booboobitxch666, CreatedinFyre7, Shirasu, xMoonlight, Black Kitty 77, RoseRenae- **Thank you for all your awesome reviews! You have no idea how grateful I am for each and every one of you!

**The Guy Below Me Sucks- **Squee! I'm so happy that your following the YFF site as well! Thank you so much!**  
><strong>

**Annalisse Rubisher-**Yes, a lot of people are commenting on the Nostalgia relationship and how things are progressing (or not progressing) and please know that one of the main goals of this has always been to fix that broken, shattered, hastily constructed, shitty, fuckedup relationship they have. And I happen to think that the Uke Flu angle was quite possibly the best angle to do it from. But if I am going to get them back together, I want to do it correctly and realistically, which pretty much interprets to small steps...very VERY small steps... So yes, we all want Onodera to come around, but first we have to remove a couple of pretty heavy obstacles.**  
><strong>

**Leigh's Last Laugh- **Hah, I'll start censoring when the Feds show up at my house and point guns to my head. Always love hearing from you! Thank so much for you astute insights :)**  
><strong>

**Don't Preach- **I did a big *head/desk * when I read your review...because you have witnessed an irksome recurrence in my writing that I'd rather like to forget.

Which is: forgetting my own plot lines. And it happens more than I will ever admit...

So yeah *uncomfortable laugher* whoops. But aside from my space cadet tendencies, I thank you for all your love and devotion to this story ^.^ especially since I have tried very hard to make it half as good as your original pregger piece. So glad you like Artistica because more of their plot line is coming up next :) And I'm absolutely thrilled that you are enjoying Nostalgia, I find myself growing more fond of them every chapter, especially Ritsu.**  
><strong>

**So next up we have a rare chapter: first some nice Artistica fluff, and then our first Artistica lemon! Whoo! (And I'll try to get the next update out faster. Emphasis on TRY.)  
><strong>

**But kisses to you all! ^.^ Your reviews and favs and alerts make my day!  
><strong>

**Love,  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank you all for your awesome reviews! ^_^ They really got me pumped up to write!  
><strong>

**Love,  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-One: Painted Lions<strong>

"Hisashi," Yuu chided, trying to hold back his wide grin. "Stop laughing! You'll make me mess up!"

"I—hahah—c—can't!" The blonde giggled, covering his eyes with his wrist. Hisashi was lying shirtless on a cluster of pillows on the floor with Yuu straddling his waist and carefully spreading yellow paint on his baby bump. The two were in Yuu's office, which they were converting into a nursery, or trying to at least.

Today they had planned to paint, which had turned out to be much more exuberantly difficult than they had anticipated. Being artists, they both had an idea of what sort of atmosphere their child should be surrounded by, and this had sparked a somewhat immovable debate about whether they should paint a mural, or wait until their child grew up and let it paint it's own mural, or whether they should use a neutral color, or whether they should use a gender specific color, or whether they wanted the baby growing up in world that had such stark gender expectations and stereotypes.

So, in the end, they had saved the painting for a later date and decided to paint each other instead. Yuu had bought a set of body paints a while back for them to play with in their bedroom antics and found the forgotten set this morning under the bed. And he was now thoroughly engaged in painting Hisashi's stomach to look like the head of a lion. However, this proved to be difficult when the blonde was not only full of baby, but full of giggles.

Yuu bit his own curling lip and dipped his brush in the pool of brown paint. As he carefully spread it along the quivering belly, he glanced at Hisashi's bared wrist, where he could make out a pink scar that ran across the skin. The two had been at the hospital all morning, where Doctor Gensei had taken out his stitches and given Hisashi an ultrasound. And shortly after, the couple had receiver news that made Yuu's heart swell.

"You know," He said as he worked. "Now that we know were having a boy, we're going to have to start thinking of names."

Hisashi shrugged, a slight smile on his face as he lifted his arm from his eyes.

"I guess. I'll probably let you decide though. I'm no good with names."

Yuu snorted, even though he was secretly pleased with the idea.

"Well, I guess I'll give it some thought. We still have plenty of time."

The blonde nodded, letting out a quiet giggle as Yuu sloshed brown paint inside his belly button for the lion's nose.

"So, you like Yokozawa?" Yuu asked, leaning forward as he did the finite details of the eyes.

"Not like _like _like him." Hisashi snorted, crossing his arms. "I just think it's awesome that he pisses Ijuuin off and no one can do anything about it."

Yuu chuckled under his breath.

"What's so funny?" Hisashi asked blandly.

"Nothing much. I just think it's amusing that Hatori makes you uneasy but you idolize Marukawa's number one boogeyman. Most people are scared to death of him, editors, mangakas, assistants, small children, you name it."

Hisashi shrugged.

"Yuu, I lived with a best selling mangaka for eleven years, saw her force her way through several deadlines at a time, and let me tell you, no mortal on earth can ever scare me as badly as she did. I seriously thought she was going to kill her editor one time. So no, Yokozawa's rumored temper isn't that hard to deal with. Besides, I kinda always thought the guy couldn't be _that _bad."

Yuu cocked his head curiously.

"Why?"

"I don't know, he just always kind of seemed…._responsible_, I guess. Like he had his shit together."

Yuu paused in silent contemplation, slightly surprised by Hisashi's disclosure. He usually was so indifferent about people, but knowing the type of family and friends he grew up with, he had noticed the blonde gravitated towards more extreme characters.

"So let me get this straight," He finally said. "You're attracted to his…stability?"

Hisashi propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Yuu with wide blue eyes.

"Yeah…that's a good way to put it."

Yuu nodded, pondering his theory as he put the final touches on Hisashi's belly lion.

"Okay," He grinned, setting his brush and palette aside. "I think it's done."

"Let me see!"

Yuu grabbed a large hand mirror and positioned it so the blonde could see. And when he did, the blonde began to laugh uncontrollably. Yuu put the mirror down, hard pressed himself not to split his sides.

"You know Sashi," He chuckled. "With your hair you make a good lion."

"Raaarr!" Hisashi exclaimed in a mock growl, making small swipes with his hands before collapsing down onto the pillows with laughter.

"Seriously, stop laughing!" Yuu barked, gritting his teeth. "You're making my sides hurt!"

They both took a few deep breaths, trying to get all the chuckles out of their systems. Yuu sighed deeply, shifting off his knees and laying down next to the blonde, who gave him a yawning smile.  
>"You wanna take a nap?" Yuu murmured, resting his head on his arm and reaching forward to twist one of Hisashi's curls around his fingers.<p>

"Nah," Hisashi replied. "Just a little drowsy. We've barely been home all day. Besides…it's your turn to be painted."

With a bit of difficulty, Hisashi hoisted himself up and picked up a clean brush, gesturing to Yuu.

"Roll over. I wanna paint your lower back."

With a bit of a chuckle, Yuu complied, resting his chin on his crossed arms. Hisashi maneuvered himself to straddle Yuu's thighs, pushing up his shirt and cocking his head in contemplation. After a couple moments of thought, he dipped the brush in the black paint and began to spread it on Yuu's tanned skin.

"My lower back? Are you giving me a tramp stamp?" Yuu smiled.

"It'll look cool, I promise. Zero percent trampy."

"As long as people don't mistake me for a yakuza."

"It's not permanent anyways. And you have a real tattoo already." Hisashi replied, referring to the character for "art" that Yuu had near the front of his hipbone.

"I know," Yuu whispered, his voice taking on a slight sultry flavor. "…And you like it."

Hisashi's lips twitched with annoyance, and he was thankful Yuu couldn't see the slight blush creeping over his cheeks.

"I like tattoos well enough," Hisashi muttered, still focused on Yuu's back. "I don't think I'd ever get one. Too many to consider."

"Did Atsushi have one?" Yuu asked, referring to Hisashi's late best friend.

"Yeah, two or three. Mostly kanji and symbols. Luckily I was able to talk him out of getting a full portrait of Sailor Moon on his back."

"He wanted _that_? I'm not even surprised." Yuu laughed dryly.

"You're telling me." Hisashi replied. "Having to stop my best friend from turning himself into an otaku yakuza."

Yuu chuckled in reply, craning his head back to try and see what Hisashi was painting on his back.

"Are you almost done?"

"Hold your lions." Hisashi replied, slicking the final details down and eyeing his work carefully. "Okay, it's finished."

Yuu carefully stood up, pulling off his shirt so it wouldn't smear the paint. He grabbed the hand mirror off the floor and motioned to Hisashi. But as the blonde followed him towards the bedroom, he got the sense that his painted lion body would soon be ravished by a painted lion. Yuu walked over to the full-length mirror on the back of his closet and when he look at Hisashi's painting, his eyes widened. Careful smudges of white and black paint created a bird, spreading its wings into the air, however, despite the apparent skill, Yuu couldn't help but notice what kind of bird it was.

"Hisashi."

"Yes?"

"Did you…Did you paint a stork on my back?"

Yuu turned around, and found the blonde smiling smugly.

"Well, I thought about painting a cup of full-bodied imported coffee, but I thought I'd be nice instead."

"But, I mean it's beautifully painted, but…why a stork? I mean, besides the obvious baby reference."

"Well, it's not just that," Hisashi said with a quiet smile. "Storks are symbols of birth and creation, and also of longevity and happiness."

Yuu stared at Hisashi for a brief moment before reaching forward and stroking the blonde's cheek.

"Well, I think we just found something to paint on our son's wall." He murmured, an enthralled happiness brightening his eyes.

Hisashi nodded, leaning into the touch and closing his eyes as Yuu leaned forward and kissed him. And by the passion of his seme's lips and tongue, he knew he had been right about being pounced on.

* * *

><p><strong>Artistica Lemon next :) :) :) <strong>


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Two: Float

"We haven't done this in a while," Yuu breathed in Hisashi's ear, his hands beginning to rove around the blonde's bared back. "I've missed it…"

Yuu mouth collided with his neck, and Hisashi let out a quiet moan as he felt teeth nip gently at his skin. The tongue was hot and the lips rough, and Hisashi arched as the brunette took a careful bite of his ear.

Yuu worked hard to contain his chuckle as he felt Hisashi melt, though in retrospect, he was thrilled to have a partner who was so easy to turn on, especially since he had taken special care to map Hisashi's sweet spots.

The blonde absolutely could not resist having his ears and neck bitten, and even after only a few minutes, Hisashi's body was growing hot with arousal. Yuu was equally turned on by the quiet shifts and sighs, and his hands drifted down to finger the hem of Hisashi's jeans. Yuu's fingers roved upward and smoothed along the pale plains of the blonde, feeling the subtle curves of thin hips and squeezing his nipples. And Hisashi's breaths only got quicker as Yuu's hands gently palmed his painted baby bump.

"Ohh…" Hisashi moaned, a sensitive new sensation flooding his mind with Yuu's movement.

"That feel good?" Yuu whispered into his ear, giving the shell a long swipe of his tongue.

"…Yeah." The uke breathed, his neck leaning into Yuu's touch.

Yuu's hands smoothed a bit harder and Hisashi let out another moan, resting his cheek on Yuu's shoulder. The brunette seme wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist and gently towed him over to their bed, where Hisashi laid down and parted his knees. Yuu slid in between them, smiling slightly as he felt the blonde's growing bulge pressing against his stomach. He ground his own hard on against the blonde's, evoking breathy moans from the two of them.

Hisashi wrapped his arms around Yuu's neck as he was gently rocked, and hummed in pleasure as Yuu leaned down and kissed him deeply.

Yuu had been right, they hadn't done this in a long while. In fact, as Yuu slipped his tongue inside Hisashi's mouth, the blonde tried to remember the last time they'd had sex. And his eyes bugged as he figured that it had been right before his trip to the ER, around a month ago.

And it was clear that his boyfriend remember as well, because Yuu seemed to be hell bent on devouring him at the moment. His kisses and touches were intense, and Hisashi found himself drowning in them, though he was glad for it. In his condition their lovemaking would have to be a bit simpler than they were used to. Even still, the fact that Yuu's heat was engulfing him and taking control was immensely soothing to the blonde.

Not to mention extremely hot.

Hisashi breathed a sigh as they broke their kiss, his drowsy eyes closing as he felt Yuu unzip his jeans and tug them off. His boxers followed suit and Hisashi's eyes flew open as he felt Yuu's mouth begin to tease his half-erect cock.

Hisashi's fingers wove tightly into Yuu's thick hair as he was sucked and his groans grew more intense as Yuu slipped a finger into his mouth, coating it with saliva to help prepare the blonde's entrance. And when his fingers finally drew in, Hisashi sank back onto the pillows with a loud gasp, the mouth around his dick and the pumping fingers in his ass pulling him into ecstasy. After a few minutes of bliss, Yuu sat back up, licking his lower lip and giving the flustered blonde a grin as he began to undo his own jeans.

Usually Hisashi would start things off by giving Yuu a hand or blowjob, but today Yuu found himself so excited that he barely needed any sort of simulation.

After discarding his own jeans, Yuu climbed back on top of the blonde, giving a gentle nip to his side.

"Sure you're up for this?" He murmured, smoothing his fingers along Hisashi's thigh. The blonde stretched his arms, giving Yuu a sheepish smile.

"To be honest," He said. "I don't think I can hold on another day. I'm…really freaking horny…"

Yuu's dark brow drifted upward at the blonde's confession, and he let out a short laugh.

"Dude, me either. It's been forever."

Hisashi chuckled quietly under his breath as Yuu propped his legs up onto his brown shoulders, a position he knew wouldn't be too taxing for the pregnant one. Yuu spit on his fingers and slicked a digit inside Hisashi again, making sure he was loose enough. Like they said, it had been forever since they'd fucked, and Yuu wanted to make sure it wouldn't be uncomfortable.

But as he probed a bit deeper, he felt Hisashi shift irritably.

"Yuu…" The blonde grumbled. "I'm not a crock pot. You can go ahead."

Yuu laughed a second time. Wow, Hisashi really was horny. This was going to be fun.

"All right then captain," Yuu grinned, slicking his own erection with plenty of lube. "All systems go."

"God that was so—LAME! AH!" Hisashi barked as Yuu's cock drove inside him, quickly turning his words into garbled moans. The brunette shut his eyes and groaned deeply as he felt the familiar cavern of his uke, the intimacy of their physical connection echoing as profound as their strengthened relationship.

Yuu began at a slow pace, gradually going deeper and deeper till he rubbed against Hisashi's sweet spot with every thrust. Hisashi hands gripped Yuu's forearms tightly, the sliding pleasure making him moan and gasp. The blonde reached and pulled Yuu's mouth down into a kiss, humming into the brunette's mouth and cupping his strong jaw. There was a great passion in the way the couple embraced, as if they were releasing all the stress and heartache they had experienced over the past month, letting it float away into oblivion.

Hisashi broke their kiss as Yuu began to move faster, his breathy moans heightening as his lower body undulated in sensation. He felt his climax building up and cried out loudly as Yuu's hand began to stroke him again in time with the thrusts.

"Oh Yuu!" Hisashi groaned as he came, his seed coating Yuu's hand. His own release close, Yuu gripped the blonde's thighs and began to thrust at a fast pace, gritting his teeth as he felt pressure build up. He pulled out right before he came, his seed spilling onto Hisashi's hips and lower abdomen.

With a deep breath, Yuu laid down next to Hisashi, wrapping a strong arm around his boyfriend's chest. Hisashi placed his hand onto top of Yuu's, giving him a peaceful smile. The two lay in silence for quite some time, just enjoying their post-coital bliss as well as each other's warming company.

After a short while, a renewed Hisashi gave a satisfied sigh, and when he did, he felt a series of small, fluttering bumps inside his baby belly. The blonde lifted his head and started to sit up when he noticed something.

"Yuu." He said with a long sigh.

"Hmm," The brunette grunted, opening his eyes.

"You ruined the lion." Hisashi stated matter of factly, pointing down to his smeared stomach, where the lion had been turned into a muddled blob of yellow and brown. "And I think the baby's mad at you for it."

Yuu let out a quiet chuckle, sitting up and stretching.

"Come on, Sacchan," He gestured. "Let's go take a bath."

"Ahh," Hisashi sighed as he sank deeper into the steaming water, the aches in his back unwinding in the comforting heat. He sat between Yuu's legs in the bathtub, his curls damp and the paint on his baby bump washed away.

"Hey Sashi," Yuu murmured, not quite as drowsy as the blonde. "You said the baby started to kick earlier?"

"Mmm."

"Huh," Yuu grunted. "That's interesting."

"What is?"

"Just something I've been thinking of. I mean, I wonder what the baby feels when we have sex?"

Hisashi shrugged.

"Endorphins probably."

"I guess…But…"

"But what Yuu?" Hisashi muttered.

"If he started kicking, does that mean it _bothered_ him?"

Hisashi's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yuu, I swear to god, if we go celibate I'm going to start drinking coffee again."

"I didn't mean go that far," Yuu rolled his eyes. "I mean, it's just probably kinda weird for him and all."

"Who cares? He doesn't even have half his senses yet. Meanwhile_: I'm_ pregnant. I can't have caffeine, I can't drink, smoke, or ride zip lines. If we take away fucking I'm going to be the most miserable person on the planet."

In spite of Hisashi's growling tone, Yuu let out a chuckle.

"Drama queen."

"Drama queen yourself," Hisashi retorted. However, when Yuu fell silent for a second, Hisashi glanced back and noticed Yuu's face had taken on a definite sour tint.

"What's your problem?" He asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.

"Nothing," Yuu replied, shaking his head. "Oh by the way, did I tell you I figured something out?"

"About what?"

"Well, we got that flu baby chart from the birthing class, so I did a few calculations and figured out when our baby was most likely conceived."

"Whoa, really? When is it?"

"Well," Yuu continued, scratching the back of his neck. "I said 'most likely' because our…schedule of fornication was pretty frequent then, so I'm stuck on a couple different scenarios. It was either on the kitchen table, the recliner during the anime marathon, or in the shower."

"Huh," Hisashi said, trying with difficulty to remember four plus months back.

"So," Yuu chuckled. "I figured we can just pick the one we like the best. That way when he's old enough to be embarrassed of us we can tell him exactly where he was planted. So which do you think?"

"Well," Hisashi huffed. "We've only ever had sex in the shower a handful of times, and I think I recall that particular time. And it was when we thought we'd be okay without lube and _weren't._"

Yuu's eyebrow rose in negative recollection.

"Oh…yeah. Okay scratch that. How 'bout recliner?"

"Depends, what anime were we watching?"

"Uh," Yuu replied, brushing back his unruly bangs. "It was either your _Dragon Ball Z_ DVDs or some yaoi called _Junai Romantica_. I can't quite remember."

Hisashi grunted thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Well, we can either ruin the kitchen for him or a classic children's anime. Tough choice."

The two were silently pondering this rather odd enigma when Yuu caught the sound of his phone buzzing. Knowing full well that being in the bathtub when the phone rang was one of life's worst and most annoying situations, Yuu had been smart enough to at least keep his cell on the counter. Hisashi shifted off his lap and Yuu hurried out of the tub, combing back some of his dripping hair as he flipped his phone open.

"Hello?"

The blonde rested his forearms on the edge of the tub, eyeing Yuu with mild disinterest. However as the conversation continued, his eyes widened.

"Hatori?" Yuu said in shock, his eyes shifting warily even at the sound of the man's voice. Hisashi craned his ear closer, trying with difficulty to pick up snippets of the conversation.

"I see…Where at?…Right….Okay… Thank you….Good luck. Bye."

Yuu snapped his phone shut, leaning against the bathroom counter and staring blankly at the wall.

"Yuu!" Hisashi hissed, flicking a bit of water in his direction. "What was that all about?"

Yuu slowly turned toward him, his face unreadable.

"That was Hatori. Chiaki just went into labor. They're at the hospital now."

Hisashi's lower lip dropped.

"…Should…Should we… go there?"

Yuu paused for what seemed like hours, then slowly smiled and shook his head.

"Nah. He'll be okay. Hatori's with him."

"You sure?" Hisashi titled his head as Yuu stepped back into the tub. Yuu sighed heavily, as if releasing yet another burden on his heart.

"Yes." He replied, reaching forward and placing his palm on Hisashi's cheek. "Hatori's priority now is Chiaki, and you are mine. Those two will be fine."

Hisashi's wide blue eyes stared at Yuu in shock, a light blush coloring his cheeks as he smiled quietly at his lover. And even though he was still a little unsure, the clarity and decision in Yuu's voice gave him hope for both of the couples.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Support Me**

Onodera stood with his hands on the bathroom counter, staring down at the sink and willing himself not to throw up the breakfast he'd eaten that morning, though it hadn't been much. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and ran his fingers through his fine-stranded hair, blinking as he saw the reflection in the mirror that manifested as much anxiety as he felt.

And with good reason: he was going to see his father today.

After his mother's disownment, Ryoichi had promised to call his son, but weeks and weeks had ticked by and Ritsu had heard no word. Assuming his mother had managed to turn his father against him, Ritsu had quietly and dejectedly accepted that fact that he now had no parents.

But that had all changed yesterday. In the middle of a catnap, Onodera had been awakened by his cell ringing and had picked it up without looking at the number. This proved to be a bad decision on his part, for when he heard his father's voice over the receiver he just about imploded from shock and had his twins right then and there on the couch. And even while he managed to make his voice sound normal he pinned for a paper bag with which to hyperventilate himself for the entire conversation. The phone call had been short, with Ryoichi suggesting that they meet for lunch the next day and talk things over, though he did not specify what such "things" were.

The vague implications of it all had kept Onodera up and worrying the rest of the day and half the night, and his nerves were growing more and more frantic as the hour of their meeting approached.

Swallowing back a lump in his throat, Onodera straightened his black V-neck sweater, brushing imaginary wrinkles from its sleeves. The restaurant they were going to was more upscale, and Ritsu normally would have worn a blazer, but all the ones he owned would no longer button around his stomach and would have attracted far more attention. The sweater on the other hand was long and a size too large, and although it didn't hide the bump completely, it certainly made it more discreet.

Glancing at the small digital clock on the bathroom counter, Onodera quickly straightened his collard shirt and tie before heading out into the hall where Takano was waiting.

"Ready?"

Onodera nodded once, his eyes glued to the floor as he picked up his messenger bag and put on his coat. As Takano put on his own, his eyes caught the nervousness in Onodera's posture and he inwardly sighed. Onodera had mentioned the meeting to him last night, and naturally Takano had offered him a ride. Even still, he wished he could do more, like be there when Ritsu faced his father. But he knew more than anyone that family matters had to be handled by their own, and his presence would only serve as distraction rather than a buffer.

Takano held the door open as they exited the apartment, and despite all the reasons he had for not interfering, he still wished he could do more.

* * *

><p>The two were dead silent as Takano's car pulled in front of the restaurant, though the underlying tension in the air communicated more than enough. Onodera's lips were tight with worry as he undid his seatbelt and glanced at Takano.<p>

"…Thanks for the ride." He murmured.

"Call me when you're done and I'll pick you up." Takano replied.

Onodera was about to reply that his father would probably drop him off, but not having much reassurance that the meeting would turn out for the positive, he knew it would be wise to keep his options open.

"Okay." He replied, reaching for his bag on the floor. Takano's teeth unconsciously clenched as he saw Onodera's face pale and fraught with worry. He gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter, trying with all his might not to turn off the car and make that lunch meeting a party of three. Onodera was suffering, and as much as he wanted to storm his way into the man's troubles, he knew that it would only cause him more stress.

Even still, he couldn't…no he _wouldn't_ let the man he loved leave without some kind of reassurance…

"Onodera," He said, letting his hands drop from the wheel.

Ritsu glanced up, his hand reaching for the door handle.

"…Yes?"

Takano leaned over, cupping the pale jaw and leaving a chaste kiss on Onodera's cheek. Ritsu's fretful green eyes widened in shock, and Takano gave him a small smile.

"It's gonna be all right." He said, taking his hand away. "You'll see. Call me if you need anything."

Onodera stared in shock at the other man, his body frozen like a frightened deer. The kiss had certainly been unexpected but what really caught him off guard was the utter sincerity in Takano's eyes, and the consolation of his words.

Masamune's face held genuine traces of love, and Onodera found his emotional mind even more overwhelmed, even more so because he _wanted_ to believe in Takano's tender confidence. But tears stung at his eyes instead and his tight lips began to quiver.

"Thank you," He choked out, opening the door and getting out without another glance. Takano watched him go, his smile fading as he breathed a heavy sigh.

Onodera clenched the rail of the outdoor stairway, blinking rapidly and trying frantically to regain his composure as he approached the restaurant entrance. But when his eyes looked upon the front door, he saw someone waiting right beside it, and his lips parted.

Onodera Ryoichi gazed upon his son, the amount of open emotion in Ritsu's eyes slightly troubling to him, especially since he has witnessed the events in Takano's car from a distance.

"Hello son," He said as one of the restaurant employees came out and opened the door for them. "Let's go inside."

"Okay," Ritsu replied quietly, following his father with a bowed head.

As the CEO of Onodera Publishing was very recognized at this particular restaurant, the two were given a table immediately, and Ritsu was slightly relieved that it was in a quiet corner next to an array of large windows, away from the busy chatter of other clients. However, it could also be said the more private area isolated them from the protective wall of social courtesy that often did much to subdue tempers, as had been the case at some of the other Onodera family dinners. But Ritsu took comfort that his father was always soft-spoken, even when he was upset or angry, though at the moment it was difficult to see what his father was thinking.

Ryoichi sat very casually and calmly in his seat, and it wasn't until after they placed their orders that he looked over at his son and spoke.

"How have you been, Ritsu?" He said, intertwining his fingers and placing his hands comfortably on his lap. Ritsu had often seen his father do this when he was out with clients or other people; it was unconscious gesture that the man was fairly relaxed and was ready to talk and listen.

"Fine, I guess," Ritsu replied, taking a sip of the hot tea their waitress had brought.

Ryoichi's face crinkled thoughtfully.

"You certainly didn't look fine when you arrived. Were you having a fight with that man?"

Ritsu shook his head.

"No. No dad. It's…It's not like that at all…T—Takano-san has been…very supportive lately…"

"Is he the same man that we saw at the hospital?"

"Yes," Ritsu whispered, setting his cup down and staring at his lap.

"I see," Ryoichi replied, picking up his water glass. Silence overtook the two for a few minutes and Ritsu had to take a few deep breaths as his nerves began to spike again. Finally, he could take the quiet no longer.

"Dad," He said, his slowly lifting towards his father. "Why…Why did you wait so long before contacting me?"

Ryoichi saw the look of pain in his son's eyes and hummed penitently.

"I'm sorry about that son. I was called away to Osaka for nearly two weeks, and could not spare any time. However, that's a poor excuse for ignoring my son who is clearly in so much distress. May I ask your forgiveness Ritsu?"

"No dad," Ritsu said with a flustered blush. "It's all right. There's no need to apologize. I mean, work is work after all."

"Yes, but some things are more important than work Ritsu, and these past few months have taught me that very well."

The elder Onodera placed his folded hands on the table, inclining closer to his son, who swallowed nervously.

"Ritsu," Ryoichi murmured. "I came today to make a decision about you. Your mother is adamant that I disown you from the family, but I am reluctant to comply because of how much I love you. And in addition to that, I cannot very well make a decision when I do not have all the details of the situation. And so…I would like you to tell me how all of this happened from the very beginning…and I do not want anything left out."

Ritsu's lip parted in shock at his father's request, and he knew without a doubt that the following conversation would take every ounce of courage he had. But as he felt a definite flutter in his stomach, he knew that he was going to have to do it regardless of how he felt.

And so, the younger Onodera, for the first time in his life, began to tell his father about Takano-san, starting all the way back to that day when he had first caught his gaze in the high school library.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope everyone enjoyed the lemon! :) Thank you for all the enthusiasm you guys give me to write!<strong>

**And LOL since everyone seemed to vote that Yuu and Hisashi ruin the kitchen for their son, I think I just might do that XD**

**Puppyfacetwo, HappySunshine, Fauchocolat- you guys are awesome! So happy you enjoyed the chapter :)**

**The Guy Below Me Sucks- Uhhhh...probably not. This story is starting to get into some more dramatic stuff, especially with Artistica in a bit, so I really don't want to take on Chiaki and Hatori chapters again, though there will be some mentions of them just to keep readers informed. Plus you were right...I do really hate them. Well, maybe just Hatori... But thank you for your review and I hope you continue to enjoy! :)  
><strong>

**Leigh's Last Laugh- It's always such a breath of fresh air to hear from you triple L :) thank you so much for your kind and astute critique. And let me say I totally agree with your beef. When I'm in the bathtub reading ain't nothing short the zombie apocalypse is getting me out, let alone a lousy phone call.  
><strong>

**Sunset Siren Curse- Spoiler: they don't lose the baby. Though since I'm not writing about them that much, I'm not exactly the person making the decisions XD  
><strong>

**More Nostalgia next! THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!  
><strong>

**LONG LIVE THE FLU!  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Chrysalis**

"Sorry to keep you waiting gentlemen," The waitress bowed as she presented their meals, though in all actuality it hadn't been that long at all.

"Thank you," Ritsu murmured, grateful beyond belief that his entrée gave him a new place to look. His baby belly growling for more calories, Ritsu quickly picked up his tableware and began to eat, even while his heart was pounding and he sank further into his overlarge sweater, feeling naked and exposed despite it's warmth. Moments before their food had arrived, he had finished telling the story he had never told anyone: about meeting Saga-sempai in high school, his longing obsession, their brief romance, their breakup, starting his job at Marukawa nearly ten years later, discovering that his boss Takano Masamune was really the Saga he'd loved, their fights and arguments, Takano's persisting interest in him, his half-baked rejections and confusion, and finally the news that he was now pregnant with the editor's children.

Truth be told, putting all those events into words had been extremely hard on him, and he'd nearly shed tears a couple of times. However, now that it was over with, he somehow felt lighter even through his opened wounds, as if they were releasing pent up infection and beginning to start the process of healing. But even while the relieved Ritsu tucked into his meal, his eyes flickered back and forth to his father's face.

Ryoichi also began his meal, but his eyes and face were focused completely in ruminating all the information his son had just spilt. In truth, the elder Onodera was surprised and yet unsurprised by the tale. For one thing, it answered more than a few tiny inquiries he had of his son's odd behavior as a teen, but he hardly expected such drama from his otherwise quiet boy. And if nothing else, Ritsu's story was indeed understandable, but things weren't quite as simple as that.

The mild older man let the two of them enjoy their food before diving back into the subject at hand, mainly because as cleanly and politely as Ritsu ate, it was still quite apparent he was eating for more than one. So he waited until his son had put away a considerable amount before starting to ask questions.

"How are you supporting yourself at the moment, son?" He asked with genuine concern. "You were admitted to the hospital a few times. Are you getting along?"

"Yes," Ritsu answered. "Quite fine, even with the doctor bills. I have some savings in the bank and I'm earning whatever else I need."

Ryoichi paused.  
>"Your mother told me you quit your job at Marukawa around six months ago, which I guess was…"<p>

"When I found out I was pregnant, yes." Ritsu admitted quietly. "I did quit, but…Takano-san thought it would be good for me to start working part time again, and I agreed with him. I'm very thankful to be back at work, and my coworkers have been very understanding of my circumstances."

Ryoichi hummed thoughtfully.

"I had heard rumors from the Isaka family that they have had quite a turnover there lately. We've had a bit ourselves, though not nearly as large. So, it was Takano-san's idea for you to start again?"

"Um, yes. I guess he just got a little sick of seeing me bored." He laughed uncomfortably, and stopped when Ryoichi read between the lines and posed his next inquiry.

"Are you two living together?"

Ritsu nodded shakily.

"…For the moment yes, though it's the same apartment building I lived in prior to this. The doctor at the hospital only allowed me to go home if I was under supervision, and so it just kind of worked out that way…"

"I see." His father replied, taking a sip from his wine glass. After setting it next to his plate, he gave a small sigh. "Son, now that you've told me your side of the story, I'd like to explain mine. Will you indulge me?"

"Of course." Ritsu said, trying to swallow back a lump rising in his throat.

"I'm sorry to say this son," Ryoichi said, lowering his eyes for a brief second. "But things aren't quite as simple as whether or not I want to disown you. You see, it's not your mother that's the greatest obstacle, but rather…the business."

Ritsu's eyes widened in curiosity and he leaned forward as his father continued.

"You see Ritsu, as chairman of the Onodera Publishing Board, I hold quite a bit of power in the company, but lately that position is being quite precarious. One of our trustees, Hashiba Jin, is adamantly opposed to same-sex relationships, and wants our company to publicly oppose it and the… 'effects' of the virus. About half of the board agrees, but the other half, including myself, believes that to involve any political issues in our business will cost more than we can afford.

"And…as much as this isn't your problem son…if it were to become known that I had a pregnant son, he would most likely use it to gain control of the board and I would lose control of the company. Hashiba is a good man but is far too emotional and opinionated to run this kind of business. If he were to become chairman his actions would run Onodera Publishing to the ground."

Ritsu's eyes widened in shock as his father disclosed all this, and in spite of the knowledge that this circumstance was not his fault, felt incredibly guilty that his pregnancy was a factor in it.

"Dad…I…"

Ryoichi held up a hand.

"Let me finish son." He said quietly. "However…despite this situation, Hashiba's health is not good. In fact, he was just diagnosed with cancer and the doctors predict he will not last more than a couple years, if even that.

"Ritsu," Ryoichi said, his calm, green eyes meeting his son's. "I do not want to disown my only son…and so, I must make a very selfish request of you. I want to ask…that you do not have any contact with the family for the time being."

"But…" Ritsu swallowed. "What does that mean?"

Ryoichi smiled half-heartedly.

"It means we are going to do nothing. It's actually a very powerful tactic in opposing someone who is stronger than you. Time is a funny thing, son. It changes things, quells tempers, and allows hot issues to fade into the background. As time passes, people will forget the initial shock of the virus outbreak, Hashiba will focus more on his health and less on his lobbying, and the children born of this time will eventually be able to go on and live normal lives.

"And so Ritsu, it is my wish that you remain distant from your mother and me for the time being. I will not disown you, but contact between us must remain minimal. I know this may seem harsh of me son," His father murmured, lowering his eyes. "But you have made it clear to me that you do not wish to succeed me in the company, and I respect that. If anything, I believe this path is best for you…and your children. It's time you stop letting the shadows of the past hang over you Ritsu, so that you can begin living again.

"And who knows?" Ryoichi said with soft eyes. "Your mother has always wanted grandchildren. Maybe after things settle…she'll come around."

Ritsu sank back into his chair, a myriad of emotions rising in his chest. He brushed back a stray piece of his bangs, not quite whether he should feel relieved, hurt, or even just afraid. But as he pondered and processed his father's words, he realized that with his father's decision, not a whole lot would change. He still would have his parents in name, if nothing else, but even that farce was a ray of comfort to him. He wasn't alone. And there was even a faint glimmer of hope that one day his babies would have grandparents.

Maybe with these small reveries, he could find the strength to move on as well…

There was just one thing standing in his way.

Seeing a flicker of pain surface in his son's green eyes, Ryoichi leaned forward and addressed him kindly.

"Son, I'm sorry it has to be this way. If I could, I'd—"

"No dad, it's not that." Ritsu interrupted. "In fact…I'm so grateful to you. And I want to do exactly as you've said. You've spent your entire life building the company, and I don't want to be the one to take it away from you."

Ryoichi breathed a quiet sigh of reprieve, but could sense there was more lying behind the melancholy pools of his son's eyes.

"Ritsu, you say that…and yet you look so unhappy. What could possibly be troubling you to this extent?"

Ritsu's brow furrowed grimly and he rested his head wearily on his elbow.

"Dad…I just…I don't know what to do anymore...about Takano-san."

Ryoichi looked at him with concern, a vapor of anger rose at the thought of that man giving Ritsu such distress. Even though there were many clear issues surrounding his son's relationship with Takano, Ryoichi sensed that the bulk of it was now residing in Ritsu's psyche, forming an effective barrier of emotional baggage that no one could penetrate. And knowing quite a bit about complicated relationships himself, the elder Onodera could sense what the heart of the problem was.

"Do you love Takano-san, Ritsu?" Ryoichi asked, intertwining his fingers and setting his hands in his lap.

Rather than be caught off guard by the question, Ritsu sighed heavily, as that inquiry had been turning circles in his head for longer than he knew.

"…I don't know." He replied, sliding his hands into the warm pockets of his sweater. "There are so many things going on between Takano-san and me and…Dad, I don't even know what love is anymore. I mean, I don't feel all fuzzy and content when I'm with him but…at the same time, I…don't hate him. What—what does that mean?"

A knowing smile spread across Ryoichi's face.

"You're young Ritsu, and many people your age deal with this same enigma. I have been with your mother for almost thirty years, and it took me quite a while to figure out our relationship and the feelings we held for each other. And the number one thing I've learned Ritsu is that love is not a feeling."

Ritsu titled his head, his dad's disclosure extremely different from all the advice he'd picked up (not to mention all those cliché Shoujo mangas).

"It's…not?" He murmured, his eyes wide with questions. "But what about all the mushy stuff that people are hung up on?"

"Feeling happy all the time around a person isn't love son, it's infatuation." Ryoichi explained with a calm smile. "And infatuation fades over time, it's not forever. Love however is. As I said, love isn't a feeling, but a principle based on actions. Love is seeing the best and worst of a person, and deciding to stay by their side regardless. Infatuation is based on feelings, and feelings are easily broken. Love however, is based on trust. And pure trust… is iron clad."

Ritsu lowered his eyes, trying to wrap his frazzled mind around all that his father had told him. Ryoichi saw his bewilderment and rose from his chair, walking over and giving his son a pat on the shoulder.

"Come on Ritsu. I'll take you home."

* * *

><p>Onodera made his way down the apartment hallway, having just gotten off the elevator and away from the slightly shocked eyes of an elderly female tenant. As the days passed and his belly swelled bigger, he had learned to ignore the looks he was given, even though some were painfully obvious.<p>

As he approached Takano's door, Ritsu began to dig in his bag for the key to the apartment. He had texted Takano about twenty minutes prior saying that he would not need a ride home. The editor had been out running some errands and responded that he would be there soon, and Ritsu couldn't be more grateful.

As much as he knew that Takano would race home and probably cause a few accidents in order to find out what happened at lunch, Onodera was hoping for a just a few minutes to collect himself. Having just told his father all about his love life (or lack thereof), he was feeling quite drained and vulnerable at the moment, not to mention it was nearly time for his afternoon power nap.

But as tired as he was, Ritsu hesitated unlocking Takano's door and going inside. He cast his eyes to the next door to the left, where his nearly abandoned apartment waited in silence to be occupied again. Something about his old place stirred up Ritsu's weighted mind and he switched keys, walking over and going in through his own door.

It was still early in the afternoon, but all the shades were drawn, giving the apartment a dim light. Ritsu left his bag and shoes by the door and stepped into his living room, his eyes touching everything in sight. It was so odd being here again. All the apartments in the building had the exact same layout, and it was eerie to see all his possessions in a space that looked so much like Takano's.

Ritsu wandered aimlessly for a couple minutes, checking on the state of things in his kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Surprisingly, it wasn't quite as messy as he remembered. Maybe Takano had cleaned up a bit when he'd come over to get Ritsu's clothes and basic necessities.

Onodera sank down onto his unmade bed, giving a heavy sigh and folding his hands in his lap. He closed his eyes, replaying the conversation he'd had with his father at lunch and trying to make sense of all the man had told him. As much as he knew he should be concentrating on the state of his father's company and keeping his pregnancy incognito from it, all Ritsu could really think about was their last conversation about the meaning of love.

It was so strange, and yet so clear. The more Ritsu thought about his father's words, the more he realized that he had had strange and somewhat impossible expectations for himself and others in his dating life. His definition of love had been exactly what his father had spoken of: infatuation. Putting all his focus on what he was _feeling_, and not what really was.

With an even heavier sigh, Ritsu lowered his head, the stark silence of the apartment grating his weary mind instead of soothing it. This place was just too…lonely.

Intending to leave, Onodera maneuvered his giant belly and stood up, but his fatigue was a little greater than he thought and he tottered against the bed, his foot brushing against something hard as he leaned against the bed frame. Curious, he knelt down and reached under the bed, finding a sealed cardboard box that seemed to be packed full. With a bit of effort, he managed to pull it out onto the floor and saw a label on the side that read "textbooks." That was odd. Ritsu hadn't recalled keeping much from his college days around. Reaching up to his desk drawer, he pulled out a pair of scissors and cut through the tape. He opened the box and immediately found a pile of old textbooks, along with folders and folders of old papers, study sheets, and assignments. He took one out and absentmindedly flipped through the loose leaf papers, but stopped as something caught his eyes.

It was a pink sheet of paper with a border of hearts around the top, like a theme for Valentine's Day. As he began to scan the contents, a faint memory was recalled in his mind. Back when he was studying at a college in Europe, he had taken a religious studies class. And when February came around, an overzealous girl in the class had piled together a list of quotes from their textbooks about love and passed it out. Being rather jaded at the time, Ritsu had tossed it in with some unimportant papers and forgotten about it, but now he read it carefully, each of the quotes stirring his thoughts.

_"Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love. This is the eternal rule."—Buddha_

_"Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."—Unknown_

"To be able to truly love is to be able to love when there is no love in your heart."—Unknown

Ritsu read every quote on the page, finding some quite profound and others a little cliché. However, when he began to read the last quote on the page, he clamped the paper tighter, his eyes widening.

"_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. __It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs…__It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."— 1__st__ Corinthians 13:4 _

Ritsu read the words again and again, no longer having any sense of time or the fact that he was sitting on the floor in a cold dark room. And with each reading, he found that the heavy chrysalis wrapped around his damaged heart was beginning to open.

* * *

><p>Isn't it weird to quote the bible in an M-preg fic?...*awkward silence *<p>

Anyways, thank you once again everyone for being patient with the updates and for dropping such lovely reviews. I know everyone is busy with school starting up again, but even small reviews make me so happy :)

**Puppyfacetwo, xmoonlight, Fauchocholat, The Guy Below Me Sucks, Kiyame-Hikari chan, sunset siren curse, Shirasu, Ricchan14, Sakura Flowers Falling, Meggels, kittiyloveranime, Granadaya, and Guest- GIANT GROUP HUGZ TO YOU ALL! THANK YOU SO MUCH! ^_^**

**the-seishen-of-egoist- As mentioned before, Hisashi is an OC I made for my fanfic "Always" which is about Yuu. It's up on my page as well as the in progress sequel to it "Forever." Thanks so much for the review!  
><strong>

**Leigh's Last Laugh- so triple L, did I stick to your prediction? Har har har. Always love hearing from you! Thanks for yet another astute critique :)  
><strong>

**And now we are back to Artistica, and we're sailing on some rocky seas again.  
><strong>

**With love and hugs,  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Privacy**

Yuu absentmindedly flipped through his mail as he walked up to his porch and slipped his key into the door, having just gotten back from work. Yuu took a look at all the envelopes, raising an eyebrow as he saw that most of them were addressed to Hisashi. Since they rarely went back to Hisashi's apartment nowadays, the blonde had put in a request to change his mailing address to Yuu's house, and the brunette was slightly jealous as he saw that Hisashi had a couple letters in addition to bills. Two from his father and stepmother from Iceland, and even one from Renaka's assistants in Hokkaido, all of them probably asking how he was and when the baby was due.

As Yuu stepped into his house and put the mail and his workbag down the floor, he noticed a bright blue leash piled next to Hisashi's shoes. The brunette slightly smiled at this, as it meant Hisashi (for once in his life) was actually taking someone else's advice. About a week ago, Yuu had mentioned to the blonde that a bit of exercise might help to increase his energy level, as Hisashi was sleeping most of his days at home away. Although Hisashi had protested this idea with a look of disdain, he had eventually given in and was now putting it to regular use. Once every three or four days, the blonde and the dog would peel themselves off the couch, plod around the block, come back, and resume sleeping with vigor. It was good for the blonde to get out once in a while, and they lived in a relatively safe neighborhood so Yuu wasn't worried about anything happening to him. Not to mention if there was a threat, Hisashi's large and protective dog would probably settle matters.

But Yuu was slightly shocked as he walked into the living room. Surprisingly, Hisashi wasn't beached out like an unconscious whale, but was doing one of the top five things pregnant ukes did: eat. Spread around the coffee table were half a dozen takeout boxes, which the blonde was plowing through desperately.

"What's all this?" Yuu asked as he walked over.

"Needed Chinese," Hisashi replied succinctly, barely looking up. "Had it delivered…"

Yuu's eyes widened in slight disbelief as he saw his boyfriend hork everything down, along with the sight of Steve lapping at one of the empty Styrofoam containers, which he quickly reached down to take away.

"That's not for you dog." He said curtly as Steve gave him a rather piteous look. Yuu cast his eyes back to Hisashi and gave a slight smile.

"You know Sashi, if I had known that all it would take to get you to eat was to knock you up, I would've started trying a lot sooner."

Hisashi looked up to give him a disgruntled frown.

"Shut up and hand me the egg rolls," He said, pointing to the box at the far end of the coffee table. Yuu scoffed, but passed over the container and began to gather up the empty boxes and other trash.

"How was work?" Hisashi asked in between ravenous bites.

"Fine." Yuu replied. "Nothing's really changed around there, except everyone acting weirder."

"How so?"

"The usual treatment for knocking up your boyfriend. Glares, stares, congratulations, giggly smiles, gift baskets."

"Ah." Hisashi grunted, going back to his egg rolls as Yuu sat down and kissed him on the cheek.

"What about you? Do anything interesting today? I see that you and the dog took a walk."

"Yep," Hisashi replied. "We only went down the street and back though. Oh, but I did find a blog today."

"A blog?"

"Yeah," The blonde replied, reaching for his laptop on the coffee table. "It's this network of pregnant ukes who talk about how they cope with their pregnancy and stuff. It's pretty cool."

Hisashi's fingers flew across the keys and in seconds, Yuu was looking at the website and the chat rooms Hisashi was in.

"What's this one?" Yuu said, raising an eyebrow. " 'Weird and fun things you've done during your pregnancy?'"

"Yeah," Hisashi nodded, glancing at the newest comments. "We got big 'lolz' for painting my belly lion."

"You put that on there?" Yuu barked in shock.

"Why not?" Hisashi shrugged.

"That's kinda private don't you think?" Yuu said, a little perturbed. "What else did you put on there? Your name and address?"

"Relax," Hisashi rolled his eyes. "It's completely safe. And FYI, they're called 'usernames.'"

"What's yours?" Yuu smirked. "'Small hot blonde?'"

"No," Hisashi countered. "It's 'JustSaiyan.'"

Yuu scoffed in disbelief.

"You unbelievable nerd." He breathed, getting up and taking some more trash into the kitchen. Hisashi rolled his eyes again set the laptop aside, reaching for the last of his egg rolls. And Yuu said _he_ was the one with the mood swings.

The blonde couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his partner seemed a lot more on edge lately, particularly about random subjects like their so-called endangered 'privacy.' What's more, he switched moods before Hisashi could ask him what the hell was the matter.

Hisashi leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling while he munched and recalled the events of last night. The two of them had just gone to bed when Yuu's cell phone went off. Surprisingly, Yuu had taken it and completely left the room, and even through the closed door, Hisashi could hear distinct tension in his voice as he talked.

Who on earth had called? Was it Hatori and Chiaki again? They were the only ones who could ever reduce Yuu to such an angry, irritated state. But with Chiaki's recent birth and Yuu's distance from him, it just didn't seem right.

Yuu came back into the living room a minute later and Hisashi intended to ask him about it, but was cut off by a knock at the door. Steve let out a couple lazy barks and Yuu turned and glanced at him.

"Did you order more food?"

The blonde shook his head.

"No. Who'd be over here at this hour?"

"I don't know," Yuu said, his brow furrowed. "I'll go check."

Hisashi watched his boyfriend head out into the front hall, leaning curiously in the hopes of hearing something. But he was entirely unprepared to hear the greeting Yuu gave.

"I thought I told you _not_ to come over here!" Yuu snapped fiercely, making Hisashi flinch in confusion. He'd never heard Yuu talk like that to anyone, not even Hatori…

"Oh for god's sake!" Yuu shouted again. A second voice retorted, but was too quiet for Hisashi to make out. He heard the front slam and two sets of feet make their way back down the hall. Yuu stormed into the living room, looking extremely pissed, but all of Hisashi's attention was caught as the second person followed him into the room, and his blue eyes went wide as hubcaps.

Their visitor could have been Yuu's clone. This person had the same height, coloring, and even expressions as Yuu, but with one key difference: she was female. And as she turned and looked at Hisashi with the same crimson eyes, the blonde was hard pressed not to gape.

"Yuu…" He said slowly. "Who's…this?"

"Hmm," The female Yuu grunted from behind her dark-rimmed glasses. "You weren't kidding, baby brother. You did knock your beau up. His stomach's jutting out like an aquatic mammal on land."

"Not that it's any of _your_ business." Yuu snarled, casting her a glare. Female Yuu rolled her eyes and nodded to Hisashi.

"A pleasure," She said crisply. "I'm Yanase Yuko, and this growling persona here is my younger twin brother."

Hisashi gaped.

"T—Twin brother?"

* * *

><p><strong>I seem to be in the mood for Artistica lately, so I imagine I'll have another chapter out soon, seeming how I've become a little addicted. <strong>

**Hinatagirl18, XMoonlight, Leigh's Last Laugh, sunset siren curse, Lumoa, Puppyfacetwo, Chihio Kazusa, Kiyame Hikari-chan, Happy Sunshine29, Meggels, The Guy Below Me Sucks- I have such wonderful and insightful readers :) thank you all for your awesome reviews! Hope to keep hearing from you all!**

****AND OMFG! WE TOPPED 400 REVIEWS! XD You all have my eternal gratitude. ****

**With oodles of Love,  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Six: On Sibling Arguments**

By any standards, Yanase Yuko had quite a bit of presence packed into her petite form, and Hisashi couldn't help but notice the confident way she carried herself as her eyes swept around her brother's home. By the way she stared, it had clearly been a while since she had visited.

"Hmm," She mused, turning to her brother. "And here I'd thought the roof caved in."

Yuu rolled his eyes, crossing his arms defensively.

"Though from your boyfriend's obvious bewilderment," She added. "I take it that he didn't know about me."

"What's to tell?" Yuu replied coolly, their garnet eyes locking challengingly. Yuko scoffed, a smirk ghosting across her painted lips.

"Drama queen." She bemused. This particular set of words struck Yuu's last nerve and he stepped forward.

"Just why are you here?"

"To talk." She replied curtly.

"We 'talked' enough last night. Leave."

"Yuu don't be so petulant. It's not becoming of you."

"Yuko!" Yuu snapped impatiently. "I mean it. I'm tired and I don't want us arguing around Hisashi. We can talk some other time."

"You have other rooms you know," She countered coolly. "And if you'd keep your voice down you wouldn't have to worry about upsetting your carrier."

Yuu was about to bark back that she had no grounds to tell him how to treat his boyfriend, but he glanced over at Hisashi's confused face and realized he wasn't getting anywhere. He inwardly seethed over the fact that his Onee-san was harder to get rid of than terminal cancer and gave a loud sigh.

"Fine." He said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "Kitchen's that way."

Yuko nodded and headed into the other room while Yuu glanced at Hisashi.

"This won't take long." He said, trying with difficulty to smile. Hisashi nodded back and picked up his laptop, pretending to go back onto the pregnant uke blog while Yuu went after his sister. The blonde scooted over to the far side of the couch and inclined his ear in the direction of the kitchen. Yuu had a twin sister he hadn't known about and there was clearly some tension between them. Oh to be a fly on the wall…

As soon as Yuu entered his kitchen, he made a beeline for the fridge, grabbing a dark glass bottle and twisting off the cap with vigor.

"Why are you drinking beer at four in the afternoon?" Yuko commented dryly, brushing back a few strands of her styled pixie cut.

"Because I can't talk to you sober," Yuu retorted, leaning against the counter and taking a long swig.

"Valid." His sister replied. "Though knowing that, you could have offered me one."

Yuu sighed, but grabbed another beer from the fridge and handed it over, watching as she downed it like pro.

"Hmm, not bad." She commented. "Much better than the cheap shit we used to drink in college."

"Well after years of bathwater crap, I thought my taste buds deserved better." Yuu replied, downing another swig. "So Nee-chan, let's _talk._ Why did you come all the way over here?"

"Well," She replied. "You sounded so on edge on the phone last night that I thought you could use a little visit. And seeing as how you've become so secretive about your love life, I was compelled by curiosity as well."

"I'm not on edge," Yuu countered.

"Clearly," Yuko snorted. "Considering you have a pregnant boyfriend living with you indefinitely. Though I must say, he's quite different than I imagined. Have you really been dating an entire year?"

"Yes," He replied reluctantly, knowing full well that his sister wouldn't leave the subject alone.

"Interesting. You've completely overthrown my theories that you would pine for "the post" for rest of your life and turn into an old gay maid with four cats."

Yuu's eyes narrowed at his sister's unsightly nickname for Chiaki.

"What have I told you about calling him that?"

"Fine, Yoshino." She conceded. "But just so you know, I am impressed. Or at least I would be if you hadn't knocked up your new catch. Knowing you as I do, I would have thought you'd be more discerning."

"Hisashi is not just 'a catch,' Yuko," Yuu replied forcefully. "And you're not exactly the person I want lecturing me about being discerning, considering you go through phase after phase in your love life, including one time when you thought you were asexual because you hated men."

Yuko raised an eyebrow.

"Are you implying that getting another man pregnant is simply 'a phase?'"

"I'm implying that you should be more sympathetic!" Yuu snapped, nearly slamming his beer bottle onto the counter. Yuko pursued her lips and finally sighed.

"You're right," She said plainly. "I'm sorry."

Yuu echoed her sigh, his anger somewhat dissipating at her apology.

"Are you seeing anyone now?"

"Yes," Yuko nodded. "A district attorney from the law firm. She's quite a catch, though our legal discussions can sometimes clash. Though the arguing does work well as foreplay. The other night we even dressed up, got our case files, and did role-play. Unbelievably effective."

Yuu grimaced, having just had a reminder that his sister tended to share _all_ facets of her life with him.

"What's that, like the sixth woman you've dated in the past few months?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well," Yuu said, happy to steer the subject away from Hisashi and him. "Seeing as how your preferences are so defined lately, I really don't see why you don't make them official. You can't stand men."

"And you can't stand women," Yuko countered smoothly. "So I supposed neither of us will ever have good luck in hetero relationships. Though for the record, I do like men…when they don't talk too much or expect affection from me beyond sex.

"Now that I think about it, I don't really want to make my supposed predilections official. After all, I'd love to find some naïve little high school boy, take him home and deflower him."

Yuu raised an eyebrow and inwardly groaned at his sister's TMI tendency as Yuko took another gulp of her drink, her cinnamon eyes softening pleasurably at the thought of high school jailbait. A momentary spell of awkward silence took over their conversation before Yuko picked it up with another question.

"Your boyfriend, he's a half isn't he?"

Yuu nodded dryly, in truth as sick of that question as Hisashi was.

"His late mother was German."

"Explains the curls," She replied, setting her empty bottle on the counter. Yuko ran her slender fingers through her cinnamon hair, trying to think of the best way to phrase her next sentence.

"Yuu, I know you'll probably overact about this but…I told mom."

Yuu's eyes immediately widened and a fury of emotions passed through his garnet irises: panic, outrage, fear, disgust, anger. He didn't say a word as she continued.

"We're having dinner at the house next week. She'd like you to bring your boyfriend and come."

Yuu expression immediately melted into one of sarcastic glee and he let out a stream of rumbling chuckles.

"I'm serious, little brother," Yuko said coldly, meeting his gaze without a twitch.

"I know _you_ are," He laughed, scratching harshly at the back of his neck. "I just honestly can't believe she would invite me and _my boyfriend_ over, knowing _full well that I will never set foot in that house again!" _

"Yuu, be reasonable."

"_Reasonable?_" He snarled. "I'm not the one that deserves a lecture! She knows why I won't come back and it's incredibly insensitive of her ask!"

Yuu walked over to the waste bin and flung his empty bottle into the recycle box, snippets of resentment and pain breaking through his composed mask. He turned away from his sister, gripping the edge of the counter.

"Well you can tell mom this," He whispered. "It'll be an eternity before I ever go back there, and it'll be a cold day in hell before I bring Hisashi."

Yuko sighed somewhat boredly, setting her glass on the counter and zipping up her black suede jacket.

"I'm not a bike messenger Yuu," She replied impassively. "The dinner is on the sixteenth, so either show up or don't. See you later, _otouto._"

"Bye," Yuu replied, still refusing to turn around. Yuko walked back into the living room, giving Hisashi a nod as she gathered her purse and case files.

"Nice to meet you." She said perfunctorily, heading out the door.

"Likewise," Hisashi said. After hearing the door lock, the blonde craned his head towards the kitchen, waiting to hear from Yuu. But it was nearly a half hour before his boyfriend came out the kitchen, and when he did, he was silent.

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, let me say how sorry I am that the updates are so slow lately. School and work are kicking my ass, plus I found out today I have tonsillitis to deal with too. I must've won some sort of lottery in hell. But thank you all for your patience and support, it really makes it all worthwhile.<strong>

**The Guy Below Me Sucks, Ricchan14, Sakura Flowers Falling, Sunset Siren curse, Chiho Kazusa, Kiyame Hikari-chan, xMoonlight, CreatedinFyre7, Annalisse Rubisher, Nyarghh, and Guest- glad to hear everyone enjoying the twin plot twist :) Thank you so much for your faithful reviews! You guys rock my yaoi toe socks! (Speaking of which, anyone know if anyone actually sells yaoi toe socks? Well they should.)**

**Fauchocolat, puppyfacetwo, and Hooey- just an FYI to you all since you asked, Steve the dog first shows up in this story in chapter nineteen, but since he hasn't been in that many since then, I imagine it would be easy to forget about him :) Thank you all for your awesome reviews! Huggles!  
><strong>

**One last note: for those of you who are readers of Cerberus Revised/ Don't Preach's works, she returned from her impatient treatment center about a week ago and is back home safely. She is on restricted computer time though so she hasn't been able to update yet. She thanks all of your for you patience and support in her time of need and hopes to he back on her writing feet soon.  
><strong>

**With tons of flamingo love,  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>

**More Artistica next!  
><strong>


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Stunted**

It had been about four days since Yuu's sister came to visit, though her brother would describe the drop in much more graphically. And despite the fact that Yuu would like to believe his sibling's presence yielded no change in him, Hisashi privately disagreed, noticing more than a distinct change in his boyfriend's mood.

The two were lying in bed, the blonde's curly head resting on Yuu's chest as his post orgasmic rush sent a warm tingling all the way down to his toes. Ever since the belly-painting afternoon, the two had been having sex quite regularly at bedtime, as it seemed to help Hisashi to sleep better, though they had to get creative with the positions so as not to jostle his belly too much.

However, Yuu's performance tonight could only be described as perfunctory. He did everything as he normally did, kissed, fondled, and touched where Hisashi liked, but it was like his mind was in a different room.

Even now as their breath slowed and sweat cooled, Yuu stared up at the ceiling, his fingers absentmindedly stroking Hisashi's shoulder. He looked to be in deep thought, although his poker face covered all traces of emotion.

Hisashi stretched an arm across his boyfriend's chest, his brow creasing as he lowered his eyes. Yuu had been so quiet lately, and the blonde wasn't used to him being silent. Yuu was the communicator in their relationship, and now he'd shut himself off.

What was worse, Hisashi didn't have any idea how to break the wall of ice Yuu was building around himself. He had never been good at even making small talk, so how could he possibly help someone?

And did Yuu even need helping? Was he just stressed and needed some space? Or was he angry about something?

All these questions swirled around Hisashi's head, but no answers came to alleviate them. The blonde gnawed at his bottom lip as he contemplated just asking Yuu what was wrong. The last thing Hisashi would describe himself as was confrontational, but the space cadet treatment was getting to be more than he could handle. He had always been sensitive to the people surrounding him, and Yuu's vague distress was start to rub off.

A faint whining came from the floor near the bedside and Hisashi gave a low whistle, which beckoned Steve to jump onto the foot of the bed and curl up near the couple.

The blonde reached over and rubbed the dog's head sighing, glancing over as Yuu pulled back the covers and got out of the bed.

"Be right back…" He murmured, not even turning around. And as Hisashi stared at his partner's back, he suddenly could take it no longer.

"Yuu…wait."

The brunette turned and slightly cocked his head.

"What it is?"

"Yuu," Hisashi swallowed, his blue eyes nervous. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Yuu said in mild surprise. "Why?"

"You've…you've been acting so strangely lately, and I just wanna know why. Ever…ever since your sister came…you've been so quiet."

Yuu sighed and gave him a small smile.

"Nothing is wrong Hisashi. Believe me."

"I…can't Yuu. I see it in your eyes, the way you stare off into space. You're hiding something from me and I just can't stand it anymore!" The blonde spoke, lowering his head and bunching the sheets in his hands as moisture gathered in his eyes. Hisashi inwardly swore and blinked rapidly, cursing how weepy those damn pregnancy hormones could make him.

With an audible sigh, Yuu came and sat on the edge of the bed, resting his chin on the back of his hand. A second later he felt a shift and Hisashi's forehead bump between his shoulder blades.

"Yuu…please?"

The brunette tilted his head to look at the ceiling with vacant, hollow eyes.

"My mother wants to see me, and bring you along. Yuko came over to relay her message."

"That…that's it?" Hisashi said in disbelief. "An…invitation to meet your mother?"

"Wrong choice of words. 'Death sentence' would be more accurate."

With a bit of difficulty, Hisashi maneuvered his baby belly from behind Yuu to sit closer to the edge of the bed.

"But Yuu…it's your family isn't it? I mean…you've met mine and we both survived."

"It's far from the same," Yuu replied, looking even more haunted. "Hisashi…to be blunt, I never ever intended for you to meet my family. And I never will."

"Why?"

"Because she would humiliate us. Our relationship, our baby, everything we have together. And I don't want to put you through that."

"Yuu—"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Yuu replied, standing up and searching for his sweats. But he stopped when he felt a pillow collide with his head. Hisashi blinked even harder as a single tear spilled down his cheek and made a dark spot on the sheets.

With some reluctance, Yuu came over and placed a hand on Hisashi's head, but offered no words.

"Yuu…" The blonde murmured as he began to cry. "Why do you have to keep a front up even with me?"

"Hisashi—"

"I'm an open book for you, Yuu. Everything, my entire life has been spread out for you to see. You've seen me at my absolute lowest moments. You've seen all the issues I've had with my family and friends and growing up with a mental disorder. You've seen me fall to pieces multiple times. You've seen me lying in a psyche ward because I slit my wrist! And you don't even give me a shred of your own pain…"

Yuu's lips parted in shock and he leaned forward, placing both hands on his partner's thin shoulders as Hisashi let out a quiet sob.

"Sashi, I love you."

"Then why? Yuu what's wrong with you seeing your family? Is it really that bad for you?"

"I'm trying to protect both of us from a situation we could avoid."

"But Yuu," Hisashi said, shaking his head. "The more you try to protect me, the more uneven our relationship gets…"

Yuu's chest sank at Hisashi's words and he pulled his hands and eyes away, staring blankly at the wall.

Hisashi reached across to the nightstand and grabbed a box of tissues, wiping his eyes and taking a shaky breath.

"It was just a couple weeks ago Yuu…when we were at that clinic with Yoshino and Hatori. Both of us were scared, but it worked out in the end… and, we grew so much because of it. Yuu…if—if you really can't do this meeting, then please just tell me why. I don't want to force you into anything, but I need to know or I can't sleep at night."

The blonde took a quivering breath as Yuu ruminated and reached for his long-sleeved shirt on the floor, his body beginning to get a little chilled. But a familiar hand picked it up first and held it out.

"You're right Sashi…" Yuu murmured with a long sigh. "It's always been my nature to be secretive, but I never intended for it to get in the way of us. I'm sorry."

Hisashi gave him a melancholy smile as he pulled on his shirt, finding himself entangled in a strong pair of arms right after. Yuu kissed the blonde's cheek, but his face was pained as he whispered a string of words.

"…We'll go to the dinner."

Hisashi hugged him back and nodded, lingering in the crook of Yuu's neck as they held each other for several minutes. But the blonde's yawns soon sent them searching for the rest of their clothes and calling it a night. His energy drained physically and emotionally, Hisashi fell into a quick slumber in Yuu's arms and the dog as a foot warmer, but the brunette lay awake for quite a while, a new mixture of fear coloring his reddish eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Here's what happens when life gives me a break and a whole afternoon to vege: UPDATES! :) Thank you all for being so patient and your reviews are the absolute bomb. Once again I've introduced a weird OC in Yuu's sister, but I'm glad a lot of you took to her...or at least didn't hate her :P<strong>

**Ricchan14, Hooey, sunset siren curse, Meggels, Nanma-dono, puppyfacetwo, SakuraFlowersFalling, Kiyame Hikari-chan, The Guy Below Me Sucks, xMoonlight, and Fauchocolat- even though you'll probably have to go and read your last reviews to remember what you said, please know I have not forgotten a single one of them...well okay, them all being conveniently archived for me might have had something to do with it but still... They mean so much and you all rock my yaoi socks.  
><strong>

**RedPurpleRose- Sorry but there will be no crossbreeding of the little Yanases and Hatoris if I have anything to say about it! Talk about a real Romeo/Juliet, and how I so hate that play... Thanks for the awesome review :)  
><strong>

**LLL- Oh your Star Wars reference killed me triple L. Thank you for your seemingly bottomless support and I shall enjoy weaving the mysteries and revelations to come for you.  
><strong>

**My Dear Dog- here is more Artistica for your depravement, though I regret that it's not quite so fluffy. All my kisses.  
><strong>

**Twoish more chaps of Artistica and we're back to Nostalgia! Thank you all for your patience!  
><strong>

**(and no, don't even think i'm going to which you all happy holidays until at least thanksgiving is over. even though my store and all the others seem hell bent on shoving christmas ornaments down our throats before halloween is even over. RESPECT THE SPOOKY GODDAMNIT!)  
><strong>

**With Love and a side of crazy,  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>

**P.s. Be sure to check out my new archive for my stories. Not much is up right now (work in progress) but if anyone is interested I have part of an original yaoi story up.  
><strong>

**tbf101fanfiction dot wordpress dot com**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Buffer**

Hisashi glanced out the window of the taxi at the darkening city, the setting sun casting orange flames amidst the streetlights. He shivered slightly at the dropping temperature and adjusted the large grey jacket he wore. Yuu and he were on their way to the Yanase family home, though they were running a few minutes late because of the wardrobe ordeal. Seeing as how he was meeting his boyfriend's family, Hisashi had felt a little pressure to dress nicely, but he had few clothes that weren't jean and hoodies, considering there wasn't a dress code for Marukawa's manga assistants (on the contary, their policy was more akin to "get you ass done here in whatever state you're in and draw"). His choice was further narrowed by his baby bump, and he'd ended up having to borrow clothes from Yuu, who was a size larger. In the end he'd settled on a deep blue sweater and black denim pants. Yuu was dressed similarly in a black turtleneck and leather coat slightly rustier than his hair. The long taxi ride across the city had been mostly ridden in silence, and as Yuu had not given Hisashi any clue as to what his parents were like, the blonde was feeling more anxious than usual.

"Yuu…" He murmured, glancing towards the brunette, who was staring aimlessly out the window. "What…uh, what do your parents do?"

"My mom's a psychiatrist," Yuu answered bluntly. "She specializes in psychoanalytical and cognitive treatment."

Hisashi nodded, somewhat familiar with the practices, having sat on one or two therapy couches in his life.

"By the way," Yuu said, finally turning to look at him. "If she asks you any personal questions, don't answer them. Anything specific about your family or your childhood or how we met is absolutely none of her business. Believe me, my mother is the last person you want inside your head."

The blonde mutely nodded again, a couple butterflies swirling around his stomach. This was the first bit of family info Yuu had offered him, and to have it be so negative was daunting. The blonde adjusted his coat arm and placed a hand on the middle seat, which Yuu immediately covered.

They arrived at the western-style house relatively on time, and as Yuu helped Hisashi out of the cab, the blonde's eyebrows rose. The place was freaking huge. Hell, you could park a dozen cars in just the driveway. Blue eyes took in all the glamour with a bit of a wonder. Considering Hisashi's father was the right hand man of the Japanese ambassador, he was quite aware that his family was wealthy, but they had always lived quietly and modestly, his father choosing to spend their funds on trips and life experiences rather than possessions.

Yuu stopped just as they made it to the porch, and by the momentary sag in his shoulders Hisashi guessed he was preparing himself. The blonde squeezed his hand in support but neither of them made eye contact as Yuu rang the doorbell. And surprisingly, Yuko answered.

"There is a god," She said frankly, raising one of her pert eyebrows. "And it seems he has it in for you. Did he teleport you here against your will?"

"Oh can it," Yuu said, walking past her into the house and taking off his shoes. "Where is she?"

"Mom had a late appointment tonight," Yuko answered, sensing Yuu's tension. "She won't be here for at least a half hour. We can have tea and _hor d'oeuvres_ while we wait for her."

Yuu breath a sigh of relief as took off his coat and helped Hisashi with his just as another woman came around the corner and bowed politely. Though when she looked up Yuu caught the concealed shock at both his face and Hisashi's stomach. She took their coats and bowed again before heading back down the hall.

"New housekeeper?" Yuu asked.

"Yep." Yuko replied. "A little on the uninteresting side but she does well with mom."

"Surprising," Yuu snorted, taking Hisashi's hand and walking with Yuko along the corridor. "She goes through housekeepers faster than you do girlfriends."

"True. Though this one sends me fruit and baked goods every week so I hope she's around for more than a month."

Yuko and Yuu led Hisashi down the hall to a large, central room with a high ceiling and luxurious sitting area. The couple sat down on the loveseat while Yuko took the other couch. The housekeeper brought a couple of platters in momentarily, along with two pots of tea.

"Thank you Izumi," Yuko said as she left. The older twin reached for one of the pots and poured herself a cup of black tea. "By the way Yuu, I found something you may be interested in."

"What?" Yuu replied, reaching for one of the sushi rolls on the platter.

"Remember those drier oil paints you lost a couple years ago? I found them in the attic last week."

"Where are they?" Yuu said, his face noticeably perking up.

"I left them in your old room. They're already packed up so coming down here wasn't a complete waste of time." She quietly teased.

Yuu glanced at Hisashi and gave him the first semblance of a smile he'd seen all evening. The blonde nodded silently and Yuu got up and headed up the large staircase to the upper level. Once he was out of sight, Yuko reached for the second pot of tea and began to pour another cup.

"Tea?"

"Um, that's okay," Hisashi interjected. "I can't have caffeine."

"It's herbal." She replied. "Caffeine-free. I'm well aware of your condition Araki-san. Feel free to take any allowances you need tonight."

Hisashi nodded and accepted the cup of tea as well as a good portion of the sushi rolls. However despite Yuko's graciousness, he could not overlook the fact that they were conveniently alone, and he could guess why.

"Um, forgive me Yanase-san…"

"Yuko," She cut in, carefully sipping her tea. "There are too many Yanases around here to distinguish."

"Yuko-san, was there something you wanted to tell me?"

The brunette looked up with mild surprise, sensing that Hisashi was more insightful than his shy demeanor gave on. But ever straightforward, she gave him an immediate answer.

"To be honest, I'm quite surprised that you both are here, but knowing my family as I do, I wish to inform you of a couple things before dinner. I take it Yuu told you little to nothing about my mother?"

Hisashi nodded.

"And he waited until the last minute?"

He nodded again.

"Typical," Yuko sighed. "Even still, it's amazing he came at all, no doubt because of you."

"I…didn't force him Yuko-san. He decided himself."

"You wouldn't be able to. My brother is the poster child for obstinance. Whenever someone tries to persuade him into something, he'll automatically oppose or ignore them. The only conviction Yuu will ever receive is from his own conscience. Luckily enough, he has a good one. He came here tonight for you, though I don't exactly have high hopes for the meeting."

"You know him really well," Hisashi murmured, their eyes meeting. Yuko nodded solemnly.

"Although verbal sparring counts as our small talk, yes I do. We have had our share of disagreements but we are very much alike in a sense, though also very different. We were never apart as children, and we even shared an apartment for two years in college.

"However," She continued, her tone darkening. "Yuu and mother is a different story. Has he told you anything about her?"

"Only that she's a psychiatrist."

"On the surface yes, but below, she is one of the most highly regarded in the country, sought by client and publisher alike. But she had to pay a very hefty price for achieving that status. Working longer and harder than any other practitioner, earning a lower wage than her male superiors though they were half as competent. Eating, sleeping, _breathing_ her work day and night. She was never one for the old, traditional ways. She sought independence and prestige rather than taking a submissive, domestic role, and for that at least, I admire her. But Yuu never did."

"…I see." Hisashi replied, his mind turning cartwheels to process everything.

"Logic indicates the children of such a person would resent the lack of nurturing, and Yuu certainly did, but that was never the entire picture."

"Was it…because he's gay?"

Yuko let out a single laugh.

"Not in the least. In fact, given her knowledge of child development and analytical theory, she probably knew years before he did. No, my mother does not begrudge our sexual preferences, as I am bi myself and on speaking terms with her. I think she recognizes that the two genders give us different comforts and respects those who dabble in it. Though speaking of which, did you come out to your own parents?"

"Yes, when we went to Hokkaido last summer" Hisashi nodded. "They were surprised but…took it okay. But if that's not the issue Yuko-san, what is?"

Yuko sighed, popping a slice of sashimi into her mouth.

"It's complicated. In short, I can say that Yuu was just the black sheep of the family. He was very… pure-hearted, which made him a target for my mother's analysis and he learned to become guarded in the long run just like the rest of us."

The brunette girl inclined her ear towards the upper level briefly before leaning towards Hisashi.

"That's about all I can disclose at the moment, you will probably see the rest for yourself."

"One…more thing Yuko-san," Hisashi said, furrowing his brow. "I know we're meeting your mother but…what about your father?"

Yuko's blinked once but other than that remained impassive.

"If I were you, I'd ask Yuu about that later, and in private. Things aren't very simple around here Araki-san, it's a web of fibers weaved thicker and more complicated than you can imagine. I sense that you know this, but all three of us see your presence tonight as a buffer. But should the dam break, don't judge Yuu for the things he'll say."

Yuko immediately sat back as she heard tromping coming from the stairs, adjusting her glasses and pouring herself another cup of tea.

"I think your memory is a little off," Yuu half-growled as he came down to the first level with a cardboard box. "You didn't leave in my room, you left them in _yours_."

"Did I?" She replied. "My mistake."

Yuu sighed and set the box near the front hallway so he wouldn't forget it.

"What'd you want me out of the room for Yuko?" He asked suspiciously as he sat back down next to Hisashi.

"Oh just telling him some of the amusing delights of having a gay little brother." She smiled coolly. "It was a real scream in college at times."

Yuu scoffed.

"Yeah like the time you introduced me to your all female study group as 'the gay little brother.'"

Yuko laughed.

"And then they were so confused when you couldn't tell them which one had the best purse/shoes combination."

Yuu rolled his eyes, but let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, the fact that my belt didn't match my shoes and I didn't have flamboyant hand gestures must've been so groundbreaking for them."

"The world is a such strange place," Yuko grinned. "Especially for the ignorant."

"You think everyone is ignorant. You say the word 'dumbass' under your breath at least a hundred times a day."

"You may not say it but you think it just as often." Yuko countered musingly, evoking a light snicker from Hisashi. Yuu looked over at him and ruffled his hair playfully, but the brunette froze as he heard the opening of the front door and the quiet tapping of heels in the entryway. Izumi appeared momentarily and bowed to the newcomer, taking her bag and coat. Hisashi glanced over to the hall and saw a woman in a tailored suit headed towards them. In truth she looked like a much older version of Yuko, with short styled cinnamon hair and a similar build. However, her eyes held absolutely no trace of humor. Hisashi saw Yuu swallow visibly as he lay eyes on her, all emotion draining from his face.

"Hello Yuu," Yanase Kagura murmured.

"…Mother." Yuu replied, his voice just as cold.

* * *

><p><strong>Ricchan14, sunset siren curse, RedPurpleRose, puppyfacetwo, The Guy Below Me Sucks, Kiyame Hikari-chan, and LLL- thank you all for the reviews! :D<strong>

**Daniel Lazerus- SQUEE. How happy I am to see you back my dearest ^_^ hope you enjoy the drama and boy angst to come! **

**Next comes the dreaded dinner. Thanks again for reviewing flu lovers! **

**With love, **

**TBF101**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Blunt Affect**

Hisashi's slate blue eyes wandered the corners of the dinning hall he sat in with the Yanase family. The room was quite large, with a high ceiling made bright by a crystal chandelier that complimented the long glass table they were eating at. He had never seen a table like it before. Its edges were nearly transparent, but the further to center it became frosty and gray. Though for some reason he was glad for it, as it meant his baby bump was not entirely on display for everyone, though his appetite was.

But in the midst of his surroundings, Hisashi was actually surprised he could eat at all. Other than the occasional clink of a utensil or glass, everyone at the table was so silent you could have heard a pin drop on the carpet. Even the air felt thick with suppressed tension and the Yanase family barely made eye contact. Yuko and Yuu ate with their heads down as Kagura toyed boredly with her wine glass, the atmosphere not seeming to bother any of them.

Hisashi swallowed another bite of the rich food as he stole a glance at his boyfriend, whose poker face had risen to a level he had never seen. Yuu's warm eyes and subtle smile looked like someone had melted plastic over them and molded him into an expressionless doll. He carried to no emotion in any part of his body, not even the anger and hostility he had shown earlier. Hisashi chewed as his lower lip as the face haunted him, and he wondered why Yuu looked this way. If what Yuko said was true, Yuu would never comply to his mother's wishes, so why was he acting so submissive?

Hisashi's eyes twitched silently as he stumbled upon the answer. Maybe Yuu wasn't defying his mother at all. From the way Yuko talked it almost sounded as if Yuu was afraid and resentful of her...

He wasn't acting against her, he was protecting himself by not giving her anything to scrutinize. No words. No emotion. Just blunt affect.

All through the appetizers and entrée there was silence, and Hisashi's appetite was starting to dwindle with worry, though he kept up appearances as well as he could. This place, that too bright chandelier, the high ceiling that rang with no human speech…It was stifling.

The silence of it all made him want to panic, and the blonde clenched his teeth and tried to still his increasing heartbeat.

Was this what Yuu had felt every minute of every day when he lived here?

Hisashi swallowed his next bite uncomfortably, his guilt brimming at the thought that he had a hand in bringing the one he loved back to this awful place.

"Is the food not to your liking Araki-san?"

Hisashi looked up and stared into the face of Kagura, whose tone was mild even while her eyes were as calculating as her son's. It was like looking into the face of a lioness without knowing how long she'd been without a kill. Even still, he answered as he normally would.

"It's quite excellent, Yanase-san. Thank you."

Kagura's crimson eyes swept over his countenance and read it easily.

"Is it then that you are feeling ill?"

"No, I'm fine. I appreciate your concern." Hisashi said, bowing his chin respectfully. However at this little exchange between his mother and lover, a tiny spark had flashed in Yuu's eyes and he watched them carefully.

"I see. Have you ever had veal before Araki-san?" She asked, her gaze not decreasing in the least.

"Um, yes. I have."

"Where might I ask?"

"In…Europe."

"Interesting. Did you travel with your family?"

Yuu's eyes darkened. He gripped his knife tighter but remained silent.

"Yes, I've…traveled with my father."

"And what does your father do for a living?"

Hisashi's eyes flickered over to Yuu for a brief second as he remembered his warning, though under the sight of her flat eyes he found he could not heed it.

"He's… an assistant to the ambassador."

Kagura's eyebrow rose for a brief second.

"And what about your mother?"

"That's enough, mom." Yuu sharply hissed, their gaze meeting for the first time that evening.

"What exactly is the matter, Yuu?" She asked, remaining indifferent at her son's tone. Hisashi looked over at Yuu and could have sworn he flinched before replying.

"Hisashi doesn't need you badgering him during dinner. He's not one of your patients."

"What you call 'badgering' most would call conversation," Kagura answered. "If he's uncomfortable, he may say so."

Yuu clenched a fist under the table and was about to retort, when Hisashi slightly raised a palm.

"If you please Yanase-san, I would prefer not to talk about my family at this moment. I…am starting to feel a little ill."

Every eye turned to the blonde and he kept his face as stoic as he could. Yuu had to do the same to hide his amazement. Hisashi was being more assertive than Yuu had ever seen him, and he rarely admitted to feeling unwell in front of strangers. Was he…doing this to help him?

"My apologies Araki-san," Kagura replied smoothly. "It's just that I rarely get to meet any of my son's partners. A mother's curiosity is only natural."

Hisashi nodded, but in the corner of his eye he thought he saw Yuu bite down on his lower lip.

"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been with my son?" Kagura asked, making her move once again.

"A year." Hisashi said.

"And how far along are you in pregnancy?"

Yuu gritted his teeth and tried to keep his face placid his mother began her assault from a different angle. The mask he'd slipped over his anger was falling with every second as he heard her flat, patronizing voice descend on his boyfriend. He knew this would happen. If she couldn't get anything out of him, she'd go for the weaker link and attack the only one here who didn't know her. It took everything Yuu had to keep from screaming. What right did she have to ask about his life when she'd opposed every decision he'd ever made and humiliated him at every turn?! She was lucky he was even here! And now he knew that all of this had been a mistake. He had to get them both out of here before he exploded. He couldn't let Hisashi see him like this.

"I see," Kagura said. "So you met at work. Yuu seems to find many potential crushes there."

Both Hisashi and the Yanase twins stiffened as they realized the implications of her words, and Hisashi became even more wary of her. Not only had she just made a very crass comment about Yuu's sensitive relationship with Chiaki, but she had also subtly implied that what the two of them shared, pregnancy and all, was little more than a crush!

Hisashi swallowed hard and decided to defer the subject once again, this time with a different tactic.

"Yuko-san says you're a psychiatrist. Does your work focus more on clientele or research?"

Kagura's eyes flickered behind her glasses, but it was nigh impossible to tell what she was thinking. However, Hisashi was so focused on her that he hadn't noticed Yuko stop eating. The elder twin's eyes went to Yuu, and her concern for the situation spiked. Without knowing it, Hisashi had just stepped on a landmine.

"I worked with clients as a main source of practice for most of my career," Kagura replied crisply. "But after obtaining my PH. D, I've done far more work with research of adolescents and Freudian theory. In fact, my dissertation focused on several individuals and the study of their growth." She stopped briefly and her gaze turned to Yuu, who had gone a shade paler even while his eyes blazed.

"You may be interested to know Araki-san, that Yuu—"

"STOP IT!" Yuu yelled, slamming his knife on the glass table and rising from his chair. Kagura regarded him indifferently.

"What on earth is the matter Yuu? A random outburst is not becoming of you."

"Random?" Yuu breathed furiously. "You think _that_ subject is appropriate for casual conversation when you are _entirely _aware of my feelings on it?!"

"I don't see what is so upsetting Yuu, and I never have," She answered, this time with the slightest edge in her voice.

"Hah!" Yuu laughed without humor. "And you wonder why I don't want you in my life! You're nothing but a cold, bitter witch who can never see past anything but her career! No wonder you and _HE_ were so perfect for each other!"

Yuko's eyes widened and even Kagura was taken aback as Yuu mentioned that person. Hisashi stared at his boyfriend intently. He had never seen him so enraged.

"I'm surprised to hear you bring him up," Kagura retorted. "After all, it would be interesting to see what he'd think of what you've made of your life. Or the lack of it."

"Funny," Yuu said, rising from his chair and shoving it away. "He'd say the same thing about you. Hisashi, let's go."

Hisashi quickly rose at Yuu's bidding and gave Kagura a brief bow before his hand was grabbed and he was led out of the dinning hall and back into the entryway. Yuu didn't say a word as he went to a closet, grabbed their coats, and took a set of keys from a small peg on the door. Instead of going out the way he came, Yuu led him down another hall and to a door that led to large garage with three expensive cars in it. Yuu opened the door to a silver sedan and helped the bewildered Hisashi in.

"Yuu," Hisashi murmured as his boyfriend got in the driver's seat and started the car. Yuu didn't answer, clicking a button on the dash to open the garage door. The car was parked so that he could get out easily and quickly, and he practically sped out of the garage and down the long driveway. But he was forced to suddenly brake as he saw a figure standing at the end of the driveway with her hand on her hip.

Yuu growled under his breath, stopping the car and begrudgingly getting out.

"What is it Yuko?" He spat.

"Yuu, you can't storm out of here like every other time." She spoke calmly, though her expression was far less composed than usual.

"Watch me."

"Yuu," She said, reaching forward and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Please listen to me. You two have to make amends."

"How on earth can the two of us possibly do that?! It's the same thing every time Yuko! That bitch in there will never show an ounce of love or remorse!"

"Mom does care about you, she just has a shitty way of showing it. You two have fought for too long and it's time to grow up! Accept the fact that she has her own shortcomings and will never be able to love you like you want!"

Yuu grimaced with fury and brushed her hands away, dropping his eyes and clenching his fists.

"Don't you tell me to grow up when you have no idea what it was like."

"What _what_ was like Yuu?"

"Like you don't know," Yuu said, almost choking on his words. "I've read the signs my whole life Yuko. Mom and dad only wanted one child, but they got saddled with two. But mom got her wish, a girl who thought the same way she did and followed in her footsteps. Me, I was always just the misfitting oddball gay boy with daddy issues who fought with her at every turn! A live-in patient she could analyze whenever she wanted and then write about in her goddamned dissertation which the entire psychology world read!"

Yuu turned from her as his voice broke, resisting the urge to kick a dent in the bumper of the car. Yuko lowered her eyes as well, her eyes brimming with melancholy.

"I know Yuu." She murmured. "And what she did was unforgivable. But it's been six years and you still can't let it go. Stop trying to justify your anger and take your life back!"

Yuu glanced at her briefly before going back to the driver's door and opening it.

"I have. And I will." He stated before getting back in and speeding off into the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello flu lovers and thank you for being so patient with these updates. I think we have one more chapter of Artistica left. I know everyone is anxious to get back to Nostalgia and I appreciate your patience so so much. Please know that it will pay off, and what I have planned will make your darling fangirl (and boy) minds and noses bleed and explode with joy. <strong>

**Anyways, more to be revealed on Yuu's family in the next segment along with some much needed comfort.**

**Sana Lama Sahama, Annalisse Rubisher, KiyameHikari-chan, sunset siren curse, sora yagami 4869, puppyfacetwo, SakuraFlowersFalling, Ricchan14, xMoonlight, The Guy Below Me Sucks, MEi, lovablechan100, Leigh's Last Laugh, my two guests, and my Darling Daniel Lazerus- your reviews make this all worthwhile. The one year anniversay of this fic was last month (sadly I forgot to mention it) and it is all because of your feedback and ideas that have made this fic what it is. I humbly thank you all for your support on my longest and most challenging story. BANZAI GROUP HUG! SQUEE!  
><strong>

**Electrical Star- so happy I had the chance to change your mind about MPreg. The Junjou Romantica fic this is based off of: "The Uke Flu" by Cerberus Revised/Daniel Lazerus will be back up on the site soon and I hope you will give it a read to, as it is stunningly brilliant.  
><strong>

**May 2013 be a great year for yaoi!  
><strong>

**TBF101  
><strong>


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty: Always and Higher**

"Yuu! Yuu wait!" Hisashi called as the brunette stormed through his living room without so much as taking off his shoes. He hadn't said a word as he sped all the way across town in the car and parked it outside his house, though he'd driven so fast the nauseous Hisashi hadn't been able to get words out either. But now that his feet were back on solid ground, a thousand questions spilled over in his mind and he needed Yuu to answer them. He needed with every fiber of his being to understand what had happened at dinner and why.

Ignoring Steve's welcoming barks, Yuu headed out of the living room and went to his own, where he kicked off his shoes and began tear out of his clothes. Hisashi followed, pausing at Yuu's ajar door and watching him.

"Yuu…" He murmured. "I won't understand anything unless you tell me…Please Yuu."

Yuu pulled off his turtleneck and chucked it on the floor with a frustrated sigh.

"What do you want to know?" He breathed, not turning around. Hisashi paused as he heard the deeply cut emotion in his boyfriend's voice. The truth hurt, and the blonde knew that well, but keeping it inside and blocking it out sometimes hurt a thousand times more. He hesitated, trying to think of what he should do. And for some reason, the first question that came to his mind was something completely unexpected.

"Yuu, where's your dad?"

The brunet froze, still not turning around. It was several minutes before he quietly spoke.

"He died. Two years ago."

Hisashi's lip parted in shock.

"Oh my god…How did it happen?"

"You're from Hokkaido, do you remember that naval ship that hit an iceberg and sank just off the northwest coast two years ago?"

"I think so. It was a huge deal because a bunch of important generals and officers died."

"Yes. One of them was a naval general. His name was Yanase Yuudai, my father."

The name rang a faint memory in Hisashi's mind and he let out a small gasp.

"I'm so sorry Yuu…why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because we hadn't spoken in seven years," Yuu said flatly, picking up his thrown clothes and putting them in the closet.

"Why?"

"Because I told him to fuck off and I never wanted to see him again. And since the feeling was mutual, we parted ways. Wasn't just me though. Mother and Yuko hated him too, since he always criticized their _untraditional _ways. He was with the navy except for two weeks every year, and he would still manage to make them the most miserable fourteen days of our lives. He hated that mom had a career, he hated that Yuko never submitted to his ideal of what a woman should be like, and he hated me because I valued things like art and expression. He made our house a living hell whenever he was there. If he hadn't died Mom would've probably divorced his ass. Their marriage was arranged and they never loved each other anyways…"

Yuu's voice trailed off and he kneeled on the floor, hanging his head as he put his shoes back in their place. Hisashi leaned up against the doorpost, trying to process it all. He'd heard the conversation Yuu and Yuko had in the driveway, and that his own mother had observed and analyzed his psychological pain for her own profit. And the blonde's lips slightly quivered as he realized that the whole time Yuu grew up, he'd probably had no one who loved him.

Yuu gave a deep sigh and stripped out of his slacks.

"I'm going to take a shower," He mumbled incoherently as he grabbed some sweats and a T-shirt out of his bureau drawer. But as he tried to slide past Hisashi, the blonde stopped him, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"Yuu…"

"Sashi, move…"

But the blonde shook his head, clinging to his partner whose shoulders were beginning to quiver. Being with Yuu for some time, Hisashi had always sensed that he was extremely uncomfortable showing emotion around others, and after tonight, he knew precisely why.

Even though Yuu had held him countless times as grief poured out of his eyes, he had never once seen Yuu cry.

"Hisashi move…" Yuu said, practically begging.

"Yuu, can't you see that it's okay? It's just me…you don't have to hide anymore," Hisashi murmured, trying to look into the crimson eyes hidden by his bangs. Yuu's jaw clenched and his fists curled, and Hisashi saw a large tear begin to run down his cheek. The blonde wrapped his arms around his partner, resting Yuu's head on his shoulder and quietly whispering into his ear.

"I love you, Yuu. I love you so much…everything's all right now."

A single sob escaped Yuu's lips and more tears began to pour from his eyes. He didn't quite lean into Hisashi's embrace, but the blonde held him all the more tightly.

"You know," Yuu murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow and anger. "I'm going to be a good damn father. You know how I know? Because I'm not going to be anything like he was! I'll actually be in my son's life!"

"I know you will," Hisashi whispered back, tears gathering in his own eyes. "I know it. He's going to have a life free of all that pain, and so will you."

"I've already had more pain than I thought I could handle Sashi. Hah, you wanna know something funny? The more I've thought about it, the more I've realized I didn't like Hatori just because he rivaled with me for Chiaki…but because he reminded me of my dad. How stupid is that?"

"But you got past it, Yuu. And we're going to get past this together. Remember when I was in the hospital and you told me everything was going to be okay? It will be."

The couple carefully went to sit on the floor, Hisashi still holding Yuu tightly as he sighed deeply, a new memory stirring in his mind as Hisashi mentioned that time.

"There's something else I should tell you," Yuu said creakily. "When you were lying there in the psych ward I…I knew exactly what you were feeling…because I'd been there before."

"What?"

Yuu nodded, doing his best to suppress another sob.

"It was my second year in college. I was really depressed because of my father and I was starting to realize that Hatori was in love with Chiaki too and it just became too much. I didn't actually try anything though. But I was living with Yuko and she just read the signs and admitted me to a psyche ward for three days.

"The first night I was there… it was one of the most terrifying things I've ever experienced. I sat up till dawn and kept thinking things over and over again. And I decided I never wanted to be in that place ever again.

"I started taking on more classes and more part time work, and the busyness just kind of kept me stable. Even now I have the tendency to overwork. I probably don't have clinical depression like you, because it never really surfaced again. But still….I want you to know that I know how you felt sitting in that hospital room."

"Oh Yuu," Hisashi breathed, lifting his head and staring into Yuu's weary, dripping eyes. "I love you so much…thank you for telling me."

Hisashi's quivering lips curled into half a smile and he wrapped his arms around Yuu's neck. He was shocked more and more as Yuu let his see the broken shards of his past, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel that much closer to him, being able to share that grief and watch it turn into happiness when this had passed.

"You were so brave tonight Yuu," He murmured. "You've confronted everything in your life that held you back…and now you can be free. Just like you helped me. It's even in your name."

Yuu reached up and cupped Hisashi's cheek, his head tilting in question.

"Your name means 'higher' Yuu," Hisashi said. "And you're going to keep climbing no matter what happens to you."

A dim spark appeared in Yuu's moist eyes and his fingers stroked a blonde curl away from Hisashi's face.

"Always*?" He murmured.

Hisashi quietly laughed, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve.

"Yeah." He said, resting his head on Yuu's shoulder and closing his eyes. The two sat on the floor holding each other, not saying a word as the room grew darker and darker and the moon rose in the sky. Eyes eventually dried and reopened wounds began to heal themselves in the warm, loving embrace the two fathers and their unborn baby shared.

"You know," Yuu whispered after a long while. "Our son is going to have a good name just like us. One he can live up to."

"Have you picked one out?" Hisashi asked, lifting his head off of Yuu's chest and finding a small smile on Yuu's face.

"Well, I thought 'Atsushi' would fit well."

Hisashi's eyes widened and tears began to fill them again as his late best friend's face flashed across his mind. But these were not tears of grief, but of joy.

"Oh Yuu," He practically sobbed. "I would love that. Thank you…thank you so much."

"I love you Hisashi," Yuu breathed, kissing Hisashi's wet cheek.

"And I love you," Hisashi replied with all his soul. He touched his mouth to Yuu's and they shared an intimate kiss that lasted more than a few minutes. And when they finally let go, the first words on Hisashi's lips were, "Araki Yanase Atsushi" as their hands joined together on his stomach.

* * *

><p>The next day as he headed home from work on a late subway (they were getting close to the end of a cycle so it was well into evening), Yuu's conscience rode up on a mental messenger bike and urged him to do something he was currently dreading. The brunette took his phone out of his pocket and opened it, scowling at Yuko's name in his contact list. Even though fighting was as natural to him and his twin as breathing, he felt as though he owed her some sort of apology for the situation (Yuko had been entirely correct when she said Yuu had quite the conscience).<p>

So with a hefty frown, Yuu hit the 'send' button and waited through the hollow rings for her to pick up. But as usual, her greeting was less than enthusiastic.

"This had better be important. I'm taking a scented bath."

Yuu grimaced and tried to block out the mental image as much as he could.

"TMI Yuko."

"Oh please," She said, probably rolling her eyes. "Like you've never seen me naked before. We did share an apartment for two years in college."

"Two years I have been trying to suppress for a _very_ long time."

"Don't be such a prude. What's up?"

"Well I…I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the ways things turned out the other night."

"Yuu, you know full well that none of that was your fault."

"Even still, I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I'm sorry."

There was a pause on the other line before Yuko answered somewhat awkwardly. Yuu wasn't the only Yanase who liked to hide behind a poker face.

"I'm… just sorry your boyfriend had to see us in all our gory glory…How is he, by the way?"

"He's fine. Took the whole thing better than I did at least. He's probably at home watching anime and eating cake."

"As the pregnant are know to do." Yuko said dryly. "Though I will say I'm glad I'm not in his place."

"Amen to that honey." A third voice suddenly chimed in the background. Yuu froze, his eyes growing wide with horror.

"Uh Yuko…you wouldn't happen to be…_alone_ in that bathtub would you?"

"Not exactly," Yuko replied. "Miku-chan, hand me that loofah."

"You know you could give me a warning or five when you having your freaking girlfriend over!" Yuu said, mortified.

"Oh it's not my girlfriend. We broke up. She wanted me to get her name tattooed on my ass. Who the hell would do that?!"

"Then who the hell is in your bathtub?!"

"A tranny. I went out to the clubs earlier and found the coolest drag club called 'The Birdcage*' at the edge of the district. He was so interesting I invited him over. I'm still in a bit of shock that there's a man in my apartment. But at least this one I can discuss outfits with."

Yuu's face had curled into a blended expression of horror and disgust and he didn't answer for several seconds.

"Anyways," Yuko said, breaking the silence she didn't consider awkward. "Good to talk to you baby brother. Maybe I'll stop over again sometime soon."

"Sure," Yuu replied, the idea not sounding so terrible (nixing the tranny of course).

"And Yuu…I know it took guts to call me so soon after. I appreciate it."

"Any time," Yuu smiled.

"I love you Uu-chan." Yuko said in a slightly higher voice. Yuu's nose wrinkled at the sound of his sister's childhood pet name for him.

"Say it." She chided. Yuu rolled his eyes and let his next words out begrudgingly.

"Love you too Koko."

After that embarrassing exchange (made no better by Miku-chan's flamboyant croons in the background), Yuu quickly bid his sister goodbye and hung up just as the train stopped at his station. And it was right then that he made a solemn promise to himself.

Hisashi could know about absolutely anything in his past… except for those stupid nicknames.

* * *

><p><strong>*1. Hisashi's name means "Always" (as is the title of his original appearance fic. It's also, along with the sequel "Forever," are where you can learn about the original Atsushi.). <strong>

***2. If you want to know more about this drag club, try reading my Junjou fic "The Birdcage." Misaki + Shinobu + a drag club = a freaking hilarious time. **

* * *

><p><strong>Whew glad I got this chapter out fast. These emotional scenes are like ripping off a band aid. Thank you all so much for the well wishes and awesome reviews! They mean so much :)<strong>

**And now we are back to Nostalgia! Prepare yourselves for confessions and tons of emotional fluff ;) **

**With Love, **

**TBF101**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty-One: Courage**

This was crazy. This was insane. He couldn't do it. No way in hell could he pull this off. Better cancel all plans, there were pillows that needed to be screamed into and ideas forgotten—

"Shut up!" Ritsu hissed at himself. He grabbed a hand towel off the bathroom counter and rubbed at the foggy mirror till he could see himself. He'd just gotten out of the shower and was wearing a robe Takano had lent him, though it was parted to show his torso all the way down to his enormous stomach. He'd had taken his time in the bathroom this morning, even going so far as to rub heavy duty skin cream on the stretch marks made by the baby bump growth.

He had done this primarily because his mind was wrought with an idea that he knew was time to carry out…oh but who was he kidding? He could never pull this off. He was just standing here staring in the mirror trying to stall for the next hundred years!

With a heavy sigh, Ritsu stepped away from the counter and sat on the edge of the tub, holding his head in his hands. His eyes squinted shut as an emotion he knew well seeped through every pore in his body: fear. He admitted it. He was afraid. More afraid than he had been back in middle school, staring at Saga from afar and trying to work up courage to talk to him. But he was young and naïve back then, and in a way that made things so much easier. Now that he was older and knew the cruelty of the world oh so well, it only made it harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ritsu bowed his head and stared at his stomach as he felt a tiny flutter of movement. He smiled a bit at the rustling inside him and gently placed a hand on his bare skin.

"Please," He murmured. "Help your daddy to be strong. For all of our sakes'."

Ritsu carefully stood and wrapped the large navy robe over his stomach and tied it as he headed for the door. His hand paused on the doorknob as he tried to gather his thoughts together, but in the end, he knew that no matter what he said it would be improvised.

After all, how exactly could he say he wanted to stay by Takano's side? Not just for the rest of his pregnancy, but beyond it.

* * *

><p>Takano's eyes gazed up from the storyboard he was browsing over on the couch, looking to the bathroom door where he heard quiet puttering. Ritsu has been in there for quite a while, but it didn't seem like he was sick or anything. Even still he wondered. Ever since he'd had lunch with his father, Ritsu had seemed to be in an entirely different world these past few days. He always seemed to be staring off into space, as if he were pondering some endless enigma.<p>

Takano sighed, setting the pages on the coffee table and running his hands through his shaggy hair. Truthfully, Takano hated the silence. It was far too like the home he'd grown up in, where quiet tension was never heard but always felt.

And he didn't have to be a genius to guess what lay at the heart of this tension. Ritsu was stabilized now, huge, but steady. Meeting with his father had seemed to close a wound in him, and Takano could see him improving even through his stillness. And that meant that things would change, and change was one of the things Takano feared the most.

The dark-haired man was shaken out of his thoughts as the bathroom door opened and Ritsu stepped out, wearing his robe with the slightest bit of his pale skin peeking out near his collarbone. Takano averted his eyes from the sight to spare himself (and his very unused cock) the pain, but was forced to look back up again as Ritsu walked over.

"Uh, Takano-san…can I talk to you for a second?"

"No problem," He replied. Ritsu sat down on the other end of the couch, fidgeting a bit and biting his lower lip. He was nervous, Takano could see it written in black ink.

"So what's up?" Takano said, even though he could barely keep his tone placid. Ritsu took a long breath before replying and slowly looked him in the eye.

"Takano-san…I want to say that…I truly appreciate everything you've done for me during my pregnancy. Without you, I don't know that the babies would even still be alive, and I thank you for that."

Takano's amber eyes widened in shock, but he quickly masked them.

"Well Onodera…they are my children too."

"Yes, they are. And…And I'd like t—to talk to you about that. You see, I know these past few months I've been a burden to you, but I—"

"Ritsu," Takano cut in desperately. "You've never been a burden on me. Not once. I need you to know that."

"I—I know Takano-san, but there's something we need to talk about…as adults."

Takano swallowed hard as he struggled to fight against the overwhelming sense of melancholy that was descending on him. He knew what Ritsu wanted. He wanted to leave…and Takano knew he couldn't take that kind of rejection again. And yet, he knew that Ritsu had his own life to lead. He'd have children to raise, probably with An and his father's help. Hell, they would certainly be better than he would. And even though he'd fought to keep Onodera Ritsu in his fists for so long, Takano realized now that his blind desperation was no longer an option.

For the sake of the man he loved, and for the sake of their children, he know had to do what killed him the most.

He had to let Ritsu go.

"Ritsu," He said, lifting his weary eyes. "I understand. Do what you have to do for yourself….and the twins. But no matter where you go…please remember that I love you. And I always will."

Ritsu felt his lip part in shock as he saw Takano lower his head, refusing to look up. The misery of it lit a spark, not just in his brain, but his heart. With a slight shiver, Ritsu moved to the other side of the couch and placed a hand on Takano's knee. Only then did the man's gaze rise.

"T—Takano-san," Ritsu said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. "You—you misunderstand. I…I don't want to leave this place…and I don't want to leave you."

Takano chin rose as he beheld with wonder words he thought he'd never hear.

"Takano-san," Ritsu said, tears gathering in his eyes. "I…I want to stay by your side…if you'll let me. I want to try it again…l—l—loving you."

Ritsu coughed uncomfortably as those last few words left his clenching throat, and he hurriedly averted his teary eyes, blushing all the way to the tips of his ears.

Two large hands slowly rose and gently took the sides of Ritsu's face, tilting it until he was staring into warm pools of amber, also shiny with moisture.

"Ritsu," Takano murmured. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes." He breathed back, closing his eyes as he felt Takano's warm breath on his lips. Their mouths touched and Takano gently kissed him, breathing in his scent and feeling the warmth of his skin. This was not the apparition of Oda Ritsu he had imagined so many times. This was the real thing.

And because of that, Takano knew that things needed to go differently this time. As much as his passion fired inside, he knew that Ritsu's confession made him as fragile as an eggshell. Ritsu had made himself incredibly vulnerable, and Takano vowed he would not abuse that again.

After a short, gentle kiss, Takano unlocked his lips, his fingers stroking Ritsu's damp chestnut hair.

"Ritsu," He breathed. "I love you."

The smaller man gave him a tiny smile of acknowledgement, but kept silent, having used up all his confession energy. But Takano understood.

"And because I love you, I want things to be right between us. Everything is going to be different this time. I know it may take you a while to truly love me back, and I accept that. You take as long as you need Ritsu, I'll be here. But in the meantime, let's do things the way we should have done ten years ago."

Gently releasing Ritsu's head, Takano stood and motioned to him with a smile.

"Go get dressed. We're going on a date."

With a slight look of bewilderment, Ritsu nodded and headed to the other room to change. And as soon as the door shut, Takano let a tear that he'd been holding back fall, which he wiped away with a smile of pure joy.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Here we are at last. The big emotional confession: the finishing point of the Hatsukoi story (in theory) but the beginning of so much more! Thank you all for being so patient with the updates and thanks a billion for your reviews. I know this chapter is a big one for everyone, and I hope it met the expectations of all. <strong>

**And next up, we have a bit of fluff with a Nostalgia date followed by a couple other nice, sexy things ;) Stay tuned!**

**With Love, **

**TBF101**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty-Two: Extraordinary**

Ritsu stared with a quiet smile as he saw several baby penguins waddling around inside the giant glass structure, looking more like the dust bunnies under his bed than animals. The crowd surrounding the display seemed equally enthralled by the chicks, and several children cried out and clutched the railings excitedly.

To be honest, he had been surprised when Takano had taken him to the new aquarium for their date. It was a little unexpected, but so far Ritsu was having a very good time. As they passed the glass display cases, they rarely spoke, but Ritsu greatly preferred it. Feeling Takano's presence without having to speak at every single turn was comforting, especially considering he was still recovering from his earlier confession. Not to mention Takano's uncharacteristic response. Ritsu knew the man was highly prone to fiery, booming feelings, but standing next to him now watching the penguins, he almost seemed like a different person.

Ritsu turned his eyes to the man next to him, and just by the man's calm, peaceful gaze, he could really see how much Takano had grown in these past few months.

"Daddy look! Look at the babies!" A shrill voice suddenly called from the platform below. Takano and Ritsu both looked down at they saw a little girl press her hands against the glass and stare in wonder at the chicks.

"Hana-chan, don't run," A man called after her, walking over and scooping her up so she could get a better view.

Ritsu watched their interaction with a bit of awe, shifting around in his long coat that concealed a good portion of his bump. It was almost unbelievable to think that would be him in a couple of years. And when he heard a quiet grunt next to him and glanced at Takano, he could see that the man was thinking the same thing.

"You know," Takano murmured. "I used to really like penguins. For a month in elementary school all I did was read about them."

"Really?" Ritsu asked with a light scoff.

"Yeah," Takano smiled. "I liked how the parents would trade off taking care of the chick. And the dads would spend months without eating, huddled together just to keep their eggs warm. I guess I liked their dedication."

Ritsu laughed a little under his breath.

"They sure are a lot stronger than us in that regard."

Takano smiled back and the two moved with the crowd to the next room where a bunch of smaller tanks were. They took their time seeing them, as the gentle swimming of the colorful fish had an engaging, calming presence to them. Takano watched Ritsu's face as he stared at a slowly climbing octopus. He seemed very peaceful at the moment, and Takano was glad for it. He had hoped coming to a casual, public atmosphere would help Onodera to relax and lower his guard. But for once the brunet actually, legitimately seemed to be enjoying all the fish, even if Takano thought the some of displays were overrated…though his did like the penguins.

Even still, the man was still reeling from what happened mere hours before. It had been a morning like any, and now he was with the love of his life on a date. To be honest, he thought about punching one of the glass cases to make sure this wasn't a dream, but thought better of it and bit his tongue instead. Despite the pain, it still didn't register.

Onodera…no, Ritsu wanted to stay with him. He wanted to share his life. He wanted Takano to share his childrens' lives. The dark-haired man didn't know whether to cry or smile or throw a parade or do all three at once. Even as he stood next to the smaller man, Takano just wanted to reach out and take his hand, but his sense screamed at him to let Ritsu be. More than anything, Takano didn't want to spook Ritsu and cause him to take back his declaration, but at the same time, he wondered how long the pregnant man had been pondering this decision, and if he really meant what he said. He'd been quiet the past few weeks so he had probably at least given it some thought.

Takano closed his eyes briefly. No, he would keep his promise. He would go slow this time, even if it meant using every ounce of self-restraint he had. Because this was worth more to him than anything.

"Takano-san," Ritsu suddenly said as they came across another display. "Look, seahorses."

"Seahorses?" Takano replied, his brow arching as he contemplated why Ritsu was taking such an interest. The brunet nodded with a slight smile, taking in the drifting, dangling creatures with bright eyes.

"You like those?" Takano asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Well, they are kind of kindred spirits to ukes now Takano-san," Ritsu answered plainly.

"What do you mean?"

"When seahorses mate, it's the males that get pregnant and carry the babies."

"What? Really?"

"Mhmm, I read about it once." Ritsu said, placing a hand on the glass tank in order to get a closer look. "They even help take care of the babies after the birthing. It's kind of extraordinary."

Takano peered at the fragile, and wide-eyed creatures beyond the glass, and a flash of a smile crossed his face as he realized the seahorses did in fact remind him of Ritsu.

"Well," He said. "There's a nice rebuttal to all those people saying male pregnancy is 'unnatural.' After all, it's already been around for thousands of years. It was only a matter of time before nature caught up with us too."

Ritsu turned his head and looked at Takano with wonder in his eyes before looking back to the seahorses with a small smile. And despite his better judgment, Takano reached up and placed his hand over Ritsu's on the glass. The brunet dropped his head and blushed at the gesture, but to Takano's relief, didn't pull away and chide him that they were in public. After a few brief seconds, Takano removed his hand and peered at Ritsu, giving him a small smile. Ritsu lowered his head with a slight blush as an untimely growl came from his whale belly.

"Come on," Takano chuckled. "Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

><p>It was almost evening by the time Takano and Ritsu got back to the apartment and both felt the satisfaction of a full, but relaxing day. After the aquarium, they had a late lunch and then a walk around a nearby park. The weather had been warmer lately despite the chill of fall and the approaching winter.<p>

The two were now sitting on the couch, and for once, were not doing anything work related. Instead, they quietly watched the TV, relaxing and enjoying the relative silence. Takano knew he still had a couple things that could stand to be done, but in light of such a monumentous day, he didn't want to spoil it with work. Especially considering that Ritsu had chosen to sit directly next to him instead of the opposite end of the couch. There was no physical contact, but the intimacy was entirely tangible.

"Ritsu," Takano said quietly. "Did you have a good time today?"

"Yes," Ritsu nodded, turning to him. "I did. Thank you." Takano nodded and watched as a blush crept sheepishly over the brunet's face.

"To be honest," He said. "I…I was worried about confessing to you. I wasn't sure how you would react."

"I know." Takano nodded.

"But, today was the best day I've had in a long time. To be honest, I never thought…you'd be so temperate. I mean, in my head I always rationalized you as this terrible, ham-fisted person. And yet, everything you've done for me in these past couple months…has been so kind."

Takano paused, knowing what Ritsu said had a ring of truth.

"Well, I've had a lot of wake up calls during your pregnancy. I guess even while your body is changing, I've been changing a lot too. But I love you Ritsu, and that has never changed."

"I know," Ritsu nodded, lowering his eyes. "You say it so much, I've almost become used to hearing those words."

"I guess I am a bit like a broken record," Takano muttered, knowing what Ritsu said was true. "But you know, I tell you that I love you, but I've never told you why."

Takano leaned onto his side, facing Ritsu with a wily smile.

"I like even though you're always so polite, you have a short temper. And I like the way your lips pucker when you scowl."

Ritsu let out a light scoff at Takano's word, his cheeks flushing again. But not one to back down from a challenge, he decided to retaliate.

"I uh…I always thought it was funny…when you're thinking really hard you get this really big vein in your forehead."

Takano grinned, reaching a hand over to touch Ritsu's shoulder.

"I like how you always keep your promises, even if they're nearly impossible."

"I," Ritsu murmured bashfully. "I like how honest you are…even though it sometimes hits people like a train."

"I like how you've always known what you wanted to do, and stuck with it." Takano said. "You always want to reach a higher place in life, but you don't let any criticism get in the way."

"Even from my head editor," Ritsu smiled. At this, both the men began to chuckle, but they quietly ceased as Takano reached over and cupped Ritsu's cheek with his palm. He said nothing, Ritsu could see affection in Takano's warm, amber eyes, and he didn't move as the man slowly leaned over and kissed him. Their lips mingled from a brief second before parting, and once again Ritsu was astounded by the gentleness Takano was showing him. And it was in that moment that he made a decision. As Takano began to move away, Ritsu took hold of his hand and rested his cheek against the hard tips of the man's knuckles while his emerald eyes lifted and gave the man a silent entreaty.

"Ritsu," Takano murmured in complete shock. "I don't think…are you sure it's not too soon?"

Ritsu lowered his eyes and shook his head, furthering Takano's befuddlement. Even still he tried to remain composed, even though he felt his body stirring.

"What brought this about?" He asked carefully, studying Ritsu's face.

"Takano-san," Ritsu replied. "I…I just don't want to be afraid anymore. I've lived in fear so long…but now I want to conquer my fears…I don't want to sleep with you Takano-san, and I don't want to have sex…I want…I want to make love. Not like the kids we were ten years ago, but as the people we are now. So…will you?"

Ritsu bowed his head with a fervent blush, and he felt his body heat up as Takano took his head between his hands and locked lips with him again.

"Of course I will," Takano breathed, holding the smaller man with the greatness of gentleness. "But only if you call me Masamune."

Ritsu lifted his sparkling emerald eyes that set off the color in his cheeks and gave a single nod.

"Masamune," He breathed, as Takano took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

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><p><strong>Ah Nostalgia lemon time! We haven't had one of those since chapter five! <strong>

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter as it is a belated Valentine's Day present to my cyber seme Cerberus/Daniel Lazerus.**

**Ricchan14, Annalisse Rubisher, hiyokocchi, Puppyfacetwo, RedPurpleRose, fionamoto, ElectricalStar, xMoonAngel, Kisaru-ouhisama, Kaoru, sunset siren curse, and Guest- A big thank you to all of you for such thoughtful reviews :) I know we're all waiting like crazy for Ritsu to confess in the manga, but in the mean time, I'm happy to bring you my humble writings to soothe the fact that that Nakamura really likes to take her fucking time.**

**AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING ME REACH OVER 500 REVIEWS! GIANT SQUEES AND HUGGLES!**

**Cerbie/ Daniel-Oh my dearest, it was entirely worth the wait for your reviews :) so glad you like the way I write Trifecta, even though I still consider you their sole expert. Also happy you approve of me mixing up the uke/seme stereotypes. You know me, I hate cliche. And I so appreciate your loving comments of Ritsu's confession. Whew. Glad to have that one behind me. I hope you enjoyed their date equally as much (the lemon is kind of a given hahahah) **

**Love to all! And Lemons to all!**

**TBF101**


	44. Chapter 44

**Warning: This chapter contains a yaoi lemon and is intended for adults only. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Three: Forward<strong>

It didn't take much persuasion to get Takano excited, and as soon as the two entered the room, he seized Ritsu's shoulders and kissed him. It was an embrace Ritsu knew well, a kiss of fire and passion that encompassed him, but now there was also a gentleness present as well. Even as Takano's tongue slid into his mouth and wrangled, his large hands also tenderly combed Ritsu's fine-stranded sienna locks. One hand began to drift downward, smoothing against Ritsu's shoulder and then down his back, which cast a tangible shiver down the smaller man's spine. Takano's mouth moved as well, his tongue tracing the shell of Ritsu's ear and moving to his pale neck, where he left light love bites.

"Ah," Ritsu groaned as Takano mouthed his neck, blips of pleasure beginning to spring from his head to in between his legs. He was already starting to harden, and judging from the tight center of Takano's jeans, he was too. Both of Takano's hands met in the small of Ritsu's back and moved to the subtle curve of his ass, giving it a squeeze.

Ritsu was surprised at the gasp that flew from his mouth and he made more light noises as Takano kissed him again. This time however, Ritsu softly fought back with his own tongue, and let his hands lift from his sides to Takano's torso, bringing them ever closer together. This stoked Takano's fire till it was brimming and he carefully began to guide both of them to the bed, trying to be conscious of the brunet's baby bump. But as he felt himself being swept away by Takano's embraces, Ritsu suddenly had a thought. It made him blush, but that stubborn part of his brain decided it would happen tonight.

"T—Takano-san," He said out of habit as their kiss broke.

"No, Masamune," Takano breathed, leaning down to mouth Ritsu's Adam's apple as his hand reached down and unzipped Ritsu's jeans.

"Masamune," Ritsu gasped. "St—stop for just a minute."

Hearing his name made Takano's ears ring with pleasure, but he wondered at the sudden plea.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently, guiding Ritsu to sit on the bed. The brunet chewed on his lip and blushed furiously as he leaned forward and began to undo Takano's belt. Reading the implications with utter shock, Takano moved away.

"No Ritsu. You don't have to."

"But I…I want to."

"It's too much for tonight. We've never done that before."

"You've done it to me…a lot of times. Please Masamune."

Takano brow creased as his mind was enraptured with conflict, but seeing the amount of embarrassment Ritsu had put himself through in order to do something well…rather _pleasant_ for him, he finally caved.

"All right." He murmured, coming back to stand in front of his partner.

"Th—This is my first time," Ritsu stuttered, still blushing. "So I may be a bit awkward."

"Don't worry about it. Just go at your own pace," Takano reassured him. "And don't worry about trying to make me come. This is for you—"

"Will you shut up?!" Ritsu sputtered. "I can't concentrate."

Takano's worried look curled into a smile and he zipped his lips, watching closely as Ritsu undid his belt and jeans. The pants sagged enticingly off Takano's trim hips and Ritsu found himself licking his lips. Reaching over, he dipped his hand into Takano's briefs and pulled out his blood thick cock, a pearl of precum pooling at the head. Ritsu visibly gulped at how large it was, but ever the stubborn one, he bowed forward and cautiously licked the head, grimacing slightly at Takano's taste. It wasn't unpleasant, just…different.

Hearing the deep sigh his partner gave spurred him forward, and Ritsu put his free hand on Takano's thigh as he cupped his mouth around the head. It was so warm and big he didn't know how he would get it all in, so he gripped the base and continued to suck at the head. It was hard to tell if Takano was enjoying this or not, seeing how he barely made any noise, so Ritsu tried his best to make it good, rolling his tongue around the foreskin and squeezing the base with his hand. Excess saliva and precum mingled in his mouth and dripped down his chin as he began to bob his head. He went deeper and lightly mewled as he felt Takano's head touch the back of his throat. His mouth was small and it so engulfed him that he was feeling short of breath and knew he couldn't keep going.

With a slight pang of defeat, Ritsu slid his mouth off Takano's dick and gasped for air, more liquid dripping from his mouth and landing on the carpet.

"I'm sorry," He panted. "It's too big—" But his words were cut off as Takano's mouth claimed his, the other man's tongue probing deeply and passionately. Takano gently pushed on Ritsu's shoulders and the brunet flopped down with Takano's body hovering over him as they kissed long and hard.

Ritsu gasped again as they broke their embrace and his blush deepened as he stared up at Takano's golden eyes, which were brimming with affection.

"Ritsu," He breathed. "That was amazing."

"Really? It's kind of hard to do…my mouth is small and your…well, you know."

"It's takes time for anyone to learn. But, thank you Ritsu. You gave me something wonderful and I appreciate it."

Ritsu blushed deeper and turned his head bashfully as Takano stripped his loose jeans and other clothes off. When he was done he turned to Ritsu.

"You need help with your shirt?" He asked, indicating Ritsu's large belly. Ritsu nodded and with Takano's help they pulled it off with little difficulty, along with Ritsu's jeans and briefs.

Ritsu closed his eyes as he felt his bare skin being touched by the air, and he shivered at the vulnerability of it all, having his body, his erect cock, and his stomach all laid out for Takano to see.

Takano laid down next to him, beginning to smooth his palms over the pale plains of Ritsu's chest. The brunet quivered under his hands and curled his arms to his chest as Takano's hand went lower, soothingly palming his baby bump. A new sensation was triggered by the touch, and Ritsu found himself letting out a moan. But he nearly jumped as Takano's hand took hold of his erect member and began to stroke him.

"Ohhh…uhhh," Ritsu moaned, closing his eyes. God it had been so long since he'd touched himself that Takano's hand was bliss.

Takano's mouth nuzzled around and found one of Ritsu's nipples, fluttering his tongue around it until it became a tight, red knob. He mouthed and nipped at Ritsu's torso as he continue stroking his cock, and found the brunet relaxing rather nicely. Ritsu's arms slowly went to his sides and he laid back on the pillows, closing his eyes and moaning in pleasure. His lean, white thighs began to spread themselves, giving Takano a rather plain invitation.

"Masamune…" Ritsu murmured as Takano shifted and slid between his legs. "P—Please go slow."

Takano's golden eyes softened humorously and he leaned up to kiss Ritsu on the cheek.

"Did you really think I wouldn't?" He smiled, planting another kiss on the brunet's stomach as he went back down, taking Ritsu's cock into his mouth. He bobbed his head around the firm rod, his own arousal growing harder as he heard Ritsu's high moans echo up to the ceiling. He stopped momentarily to grab a bottle of lube stashed under the bed, and continued sucking Ritsu's cock as he carefully slid a finger inside him.

The brunet let out a strangled gasp as he felt himself penetrated. It had been months since they'd had sex, and he felt a familiar combination of pain and pleasure coming back to that area. Takano's finger probed deep inside him, sniffing out his sweet spot and pushing down on it.

"AH!" Ritsu gasped, clutching the sheets tightly as electricity coursed through him. Between Takano's mouth and his finger, he was so close to coming it was embarrassing. Takano knew this as well, and as he slipped in a second finger, he took his mouth off Ritsu's cock and began to stroke it again, timing it with his thrusts.

"N—No," Ritsu moaned. "T—Too much."

"Come on Ritsu," Takano said in a playful, husky growl. "Come for me."

"N—No…Masa—Masamune!" He cried as he climaxed, his thick seed coating Takano's hand. Ritsu's entire body relaxed and he closed his eyes, feeling the waves of the orgasm wash over him like warm water.

Seeing how calm his partner was, Takano removed his fingers and squeezed a handful of lube into his palm, stroking his own member as took in the enticing picture of post coital Ritsu. Limbs spread, thighs parted, eyes closed, and his full stomach gently rising with deep breaths.

Takano had never seen a more endearing sight. He wanted to engrain this moment in his memory for all time, and a quiet smile pulled at his mouth as he realized that Ritsu and him would have many, many more nights like this…

Spreading some more lube over Ritsu's twitching entrance, Takano kneeled close to him and began to press his cock inside. He grunted with relief and ecstasy as it easily slid in and propped himself up over Ritsu. With that belly of his the only easy position for them would be missionary, but it was exactly what Takano wanted. To see the face of the man he was going to be with…for years to come.

Ritsu moaned as he felt Takano completely slide inside him, his back arching and his hands clasping the sheets. While he waited for his uke to adjust, Takano took both of those white knuckled hands and wove his fingers in between Ritsu's. Ritsu quietly grunted at the gesture and gripped Takano's hands as he began to move, carefully sliding in and out. The pace wasn't fast or rough, but slow and steady, giving them both a soft pleasure and a tangible feeling of intimacy.

Takano went a little faster as he leaned down to kiss Ritsu, and the brunet briefly had a tiny flashback of kissing Saga-sempai the first time they made love and holding his face in his hands.

This feeling in mind, Ritsu slipped his hands out of Takano's and rested them on the man's cheeks and as deepened their kiss, stroking his firm cheekbones and thick black locks.

They joined hands again after the kiss and Takano began to thrust faster, beads of sweat beginning to pool on his muscular back. Ritsu's breathing was ragged as he cried and moaned higher and higher, feeling a second climax coming on.

Takano was close as well and Ritsu's body was rocked harshly as he began to go full tempo, closing his eyes and squeezing Ritsu's hands with all his might.

"AHH!" Ritsu cried, his body arching as he came again. Takano climaxed not a second later, bowing his dark, sweaty head as he tried to catch his breath. He laid down next to the heaving Ritsu and wrapped his arms around him, kissing the top of his chestnut head as pure bliss engulfed them both.

"I love you Ritsu." He murmured, almost feeling tears sting at his eyes. Ritsu turned his head wearily and gave Takano a small, tired smile.

"I love you too."

With barely a thought about anything but each other, Masamune and Ritsu curled up in each other's arms and slept. Their rest was all the more peaceful because they had resigned to leave their troubled pasts behind them and bask in the loving nest of the present, moving forward together, side by side.

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><p><strong>Greeting to my awesome flu lovers! Hope you enjoyed the long awaited Nostalgia love lemon. Holy Moldy Christ I can't believe how many reviews are coming in. You all make me so happy. Sorry I couldn't do shout outs today but I want to sincerely thank you all for your support. And I hope you all like the new cover. Drew and colored it myself :) Thank god for computers.<br>**

**More Nostalgia to come next! **

**With love, **

**TBF101**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty-Four: Meeting**

(3 months later)

"Stop your fussing," Takano murmured as he saw Ritsu brushing at imaginary specks on his coat. "You'll put yourself into labor doing that." The two were in the sitting area of a ritzy hotel and a very swelled Ritsu was fidgeting more than he should.

"I'm fine, Ta—Masamune," Ritsu replied, though he was still eyeing his clothes. He hoped he looked okay, this was an important meeting. An's wedding was only a week away and Ritsu was finally going to meet her groom to be, Hinajima Shousuke. Shousuke was also bringing his brother Shikijo and his American partner, Michael, as well as their infant son. Surprisingly, Ritsu felt more nervous about meeting the gay couple than An's fiancé. Despite the fact that he and Takano had been openly together for three months, Ritsu was still fussing over a set of worries that came with his eight and a half month pregnancy. What if he and Masamune weren't going to be good parents?

The brunet's hand automatically went to his bellybutton, and he breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't wet. The small pucker had begun changing into a slit, signaling that he was shortly going to burst. Takano knew this was well, and had trouble leaving Ritsu's side even for a quick trip to the bathroom, as he had his own set of worries.

Ritsu had become increasingly fragile as the twin babies stretched his stomach out. His organs were constantly compressed by the fetal sack, most noticeably his lungs, as he breathed in short, steady rasps. The doctor had explained that this could happen even with single babies, and as Ritsu was on the smallish side, the doctor had put him on bed rest until the birthing.

But, stubborn as ever, the brunet still managed to defy this in his own ways. He would work for the Emerald department from the couch and fax things to them, and he utterly refused to give up his place in An's wedding party, much to Takano's chagrin. Frankly, Masamune thought his partner was crazy for doing so much when he was about to blow, but Ritsu's stubbornness was one of the endearing traits he loved. So they'd compromised. Ritsu could meet An and her party today to review the venue and be in the ceremony, but if he so much as sneezed, Takano was pulling him out and hauling his baby bump ass back to the couch.

"Rit-chan!"

Ritsu glanced down the hall and his face lit up as he saw An waving. She immediately steered her group over to the sitting area and gave Ritsu a careful hug. For obvious reasons Ritsu couldn't stand to greet her, but she understood.

"How are you An-chan?" Ritsu asked with a smile.

"How am I? How are you Rit-chan? You look out of breath!"

"Oh I'm fine." He reassured her. An looked over to Takano and bowed.

"Nice to see you again Takano-san."

"You too An-san." He replied.

"Rit-chan, Takano-san," An said. "I'd like you to meet my fiancé Hinajima Shousuke."

"It's a pleasure," Ritsu said to him. Shousuke was a tall, fair-haired man who nodded to Ritsu with a quiet smile.

"And this is Shou-chan's brother Shikijo." An continued, gesturing to a slightly shorter man who also had fair hair. Behind him stood the startlingly tall African American man Ritsu had seen from the picture An showed him, who was wearing a front pack with their lovely son in it. The couple regarded Ritsu with amazement.

"Wow, and I thought I was big when I was pregnant." Shikijo ribbed good-naturedly. "Pleasure to meet you Onodera-san. I'm Shikijo, and this is my husband Michael, and our son Mark."

At the greeting, the tall basketball player came forward and dipped his head in a bow. He then let his lips pull back in a wide grin, his pearly teeth contrasting sharply with his ebony skin. Shikijo rolled his eyes.

"Pardon my husband," He said. "He's new to Japan and finds our customs 'cool.'"

Ritsu nodded and smiled at their baby, who was cooing quietly.

"How old is your son?" He asked.

"Nearly eleven months," Shikijo replied proudly. "When are you due?"

"Any day now," Ritsu laughed breathily. "These two are ready to come out."

"Do you know what you're having?"

"Twin girls," Ritsu smiled, looking up at Masamune, who returned his gleeful expression.

"Congratulations," Shikijo said.

"Thank you," Ritsu replied. "Now An-chan, are we going to see your reception hall?"

"Yes, it's just a couple doors down," She said. "But are you sure you're well enough Rit-chan?"

"I came all the way here," The brunet replied. "I feel just peachy. Lead the way."

Takano immediately leaned over and carefully helped Ritsu to his feet. The dark-haired man took Ritsu's elbow as the group began to walk, ever watching his partner's gait for signs of distress. But Onodera really did seem 'peachy' and made it to the expensive room, which was already being decorated for the venue with crystal and yellow roses.

"Oh An-chan," Ritsu said. "It's wonderful."

He looked over to his friend and saw her eyes filling with joyful tears. Shousuke leaned over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, which made Ritsu smile. He too was happy for An-chan's special day, and that he could be a part of it.

"AH!"

Takano nearly jumped a full foot as Ritsu suddenly yelped and clutched his stomach, breathing heavily.

"I'm all right," He panted. "Just a kick."

After the brunet had straightened up and regained his breath, he looked over at the white-faced Masamune musingly.  
>"We'll have to name that one after you Masamune. I swear every time I let my guard down she kicks me right in the kidney."<p>

Takano chuckled, but the worry didn't leave his eyes.

"Maybe now would be a good time to go back home."

"But we just got here," Ritsu protested. "And we were supposed to go to the chapel where the ceremony is being held."

"Maybe you should get some rest, Rit-chan," An said. "And I know this is a little hard to hear but, maybe we should talk about what you should do during the ceremony."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're hardly going to be able to stand during the whole thing." Takano commented.

Ritsu's eyes widened and he looked at An with a bit of disappointment.

"You mean you don't want me to be in the wedding party An-chan?"

"Oh heaven's no, Rit-chan. Of course I do! But I think Takano-san is right. You need to take better care of yourself. You'll still be in the wedding party, but I think you should be seated for the ceremony. You and Takano-san can sit right in the front row with my parents."

Ritsu sighed, but he knew they were right. But rather than try to hide his discouragement, he chuckled slightly and gave An a smile.

"We went through all that trouble to get my tux altered to fit around this balloon belly and now nobody's even going to see it?"

Everyone laughed at his words and began to head back down the hall to the lounge. Ritsu let Takano support him as they parted ways with An and went to the parking garage, but he had a firm look in his eyes. Babies or no, he was going to be a part of his best friend's wedding. He had been waiting for this for months, and birthing would just have to wait until after she was married.

But even while he had those stubborn thoughts of resolve, fate was busy crafting, and Ritsu didn't have the slightest clue about the amount of irony he was going to be put through.

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><p><strong>And we're back! Next up is Artistica :) We're getting close to the Uke Flu SIH finale!<strong>

**BTW, if anyone is wondering about the mechanics of the Uke Flu pregnancy process, I highly suggest reading chapter 20 of Cerberus Revised's Uke Flu...then again, just read the whole thing! There are more chapters up now and as always, it's utterly brilliant.**

**ElectricalStar, Puppyfacetwo, Annalisse Rubisher, Mrs. Ciel Phantomhive, loopyhutton, AllenMoyashiWalker, Kiyame Hikari-chan, RedPurpleRose, randomlycandy4life, Aiko chan, The Guy Below Me Sucks, fionamoto, Pheonix 555, Rowan xx, ladodato, inuyasha lover 33, memorymogul, Uchiha Riddle, Guests, and my darling Cerberus- GIANT GROUP HUG! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS AND ENDLESS SUPPORT. I LOVE YOU ALL! (but not too much or my dog will get jealous lol)**

**Tons of MPreg Love, **

**TBF101**


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty-Five: Cake Bribes**

Yanase Yuko glanced over at her brother's pregnant boyfriend, slightly amazed that he had just finished his third piece of cake. Where the freak did he find room for it all? She silently reached over to the coffee table and cut him another piece from the German chocolate cake before continuing her story.

"So I eventually broke the arrangement off, though I must admit dating a heterosexual couple was extremely satisfying. All in all a mutually beneficial relationship, as the woman and I enjoyed intimacy and companionship, and also had the added plus of her boyfriend's well hung package. Even still, it wasn't exactly the best long-term experiment. Things tend to get a bit stale so matter how many people you have. Plus it really takes time to perfect a threesome in the first place. You wouldn't believe how awkward just adding another person can be."

Hisashi nodded and swallowed another bite of cake.

"I can see that."

The blond kept eating as Yuu's sister talked, enjoying the rich cake she had brought over. Yuu was working a lot of hours lately, as Renaka had commissioned him to help her with a manga adaptation of a novel. Yuu had mentioned his schedule while talking to Yuko on the phone one night, and the next day his sister had shown up at their front door with sweet confections for the bed ridden and pregnant. Hisashi didn't mind her coming over unannounced at all. It was nice to have to have company other than the dog and the TV, plus he found he could learn some interesting things about his boyfriend in her ramblings.

"And oh, you would not believe the drama," She sighed. "When a couple fights they always look for a new target to aim their anger at, when the problem really lies with them. I mean, I'd like a steady girlfriend or boyfriend, but they seem to become really possessive after a time, like we've signed a satanic blood pact or something."

Yuko leaned back on the couch, running a hand through the back of her short hair.

"Yuu was never really like that. I suppose we're actually very different in the way we handle relationships. Yuu sometimes had a brief fling on the side in college, but he always had his heart set on Yoshino. He could've had any boy he wanted, but he chose that airhead who barely gave him any mind."

"Yeah," Hisashi said. "He must've been in a lot of pain."

"You don't know the half of it," Yuko replied. "Yuu always seems to lose the ones he cares about. Despite our family's special form of insensitivity, Yuu did have someone he genuinely loved when he was growing up."

"Really? Who?"

"Our paternal grandfather. He was an artist you see, did traditional watercolor painting. I think that's where Yuu got a lot of his creativity. They were very close when he was a child, but unfortunately Ojii-san passed away when he was nine. But by then, Yuu was practically a factory of art, going through sketchbooks like crazy. I think he knew then that he wanted to be an artist, and he had enough drive and luck to see it through."

"Yuu's always been a hard worker," Hisashi nodded. "Did you both go to Mitsuhashi University?"

"For a time yes," Yuko replied. "We even shared an apartment for those years. But unfortunately, things kind of fell apart in our third year. You were right about Yuu being a hard worker. He was obsessive in college and would pull all-nighters constantly for trivial reasons. I eventually came to the conclusion that Yuu was working so hard because he visualized that his artistic success would win Yoshino's heart. Frankly, I told him to stop pinning over a lost cause and move on with his life, and that sparked a whirlwind of arguments. Eventually we got so fed up with each other that he moved out and I transferred to Teito to finish my degree in law."

Yuko paused, taking a sip of tea and sighing.

"I suppose that's kind of what killed our own relationship. We haven't been very close in years, especially since I still talk to mom. But oh well, I'm glad to see him doing so well these past few months."

"Me too," Hisashi nodded with a smile.

"You know," Yuko said, turning to him. "You're a good listener. After my longer rants most people just act like they're not trying to tune me out. Unless they're drunk. Then they usually just want to get me in the sack."

"Thanks," Hisashi replied, licking his lips after he finished his fourth piece of cake, which once again left Yuko speechless. From the few clues Yuu had given her, it sounded like Hisashi had an anxious eating disorder, not problems with gluttonous binging.

"Thank god I'm not pregnant," She muttered inaudibly. All of a sudden, the two heard sounds of the door opening. From the spot next to Hisashi, Steve lifted his head and gave a single, lazy bark to welcome Yuu home. However, Yuu's brow immediately creased as he saw the scene in his living room.

"Sashi, why is my sister in my house and sitting in my spot?"

The blond shrugged dryly.

"I dunno."

Yuu turned to Yuko and gave her a look of contempt as he saw the scattered remains of the cake.

"That's low Yuko, bribing a pregnant man with cake."

"I like to think of it as resourceful." She replied aloofly. "But you know, watching your pregnant uke eat his body weight in cake has really affirmed my own views in birth control. You both have my gratitude. Now I'm off to go steal one of your beers, otouto."

As Yuko headed off to the kitchen, Yuu scoffed and came over to the couch, kissing Hisashi on the forehead and looking him over.

"How are you doing? Sorry I had to work so late."

"I'm fine," the blonde replied. "How's the storyboard coming?"

"Very well. Working with Renaka-san is quite something. She really is brilliant, though we have to give credit to the original author too."

"Who is he again?"

"Some literature professor named Kamijou. First time author but his book got great reviews. From what I know, he somehow met Kirishima, who recommended turning the book into a yaoi manga in the Sapphire department at Marukawa. And since the _Always _series has had so much success, they commissioned Renaka-san to do it.

"I haven't actually met the author yet, but we plan to have a meeting with him later this week."

"Wish I could be there," Hisashi sighed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss the office. There's only so many anime reruns I can take. I can't believe I still have two months left of this."

"I know," Yuu said, ruffling his curls. "But the doctor said you have to be on bed rest until the baby is born. Are you breathing okay?"

"Yeah, I feel a little short sometimes, but the relaxation techniques they taught at the birthing classes have been helpful."

"Good," Yuu said, craning his neck so he could see inside the kitchen. "I'd better go find out what my sister is up too while I order us some dinner. Think you could eat after all that cake?"

Hisashi shrugged and patted his baby bump.

"I can find room."

Yuu chuckled and headed into the kitchen, finding Yuko leaning against the counter with a beer.

"So," He said, grabbing another from the fridge. "What brought you over here today?"

"I'd just thought I'd give your boyfriend some company. Work's been slow and I was bored."

"Oh come on," Yuu said, reading through her easily. "There's more than that."

Yuko narrowed her eyes, a little irked that her brother could read her as easily as she could read him.

"Well," She muttered, taking another sip. "It just kind of dawned on me the other day that I'm the only connection your kid will have to the Yanase side of the family. So I thought maybe I'd like to get in with it ahead of time."

"Wait," Yuu said in surprise. "You mean you're actually looking forward to being an aunt?"

Yuko shrugged.

"I don't know if I do or not. That's why I thought I'd hang around before the baby's born."

"He's not due for another eight weeks."

"Really?" Yuko said. "He looks like he's about to pop any day."

Yuu shook his head.

"No, he just got to seven months. We still have a while."

"Oh. Well anyways, you get my point…what the hell are you smirking at?"

"Oh nothing," Yuu chuckled. "I just think it's funny. You've never taken such a doting interest in anything before."

Yuko shrugged, trying to appear non-chalant as she spoke her next sentence quietly.

"Watching you two, it's a little hard not to care. It's very clear you love Hisashi-san, and I'm just happy that you have a person who returns that love.

"And since you two are so gaga for each other, I'm going to need to be around to make sure that baby learns condescension and sarcasm correctly."

Yuu snickered and touched his sister's shoulder.

"Thanks Yuko. Nice to know you'll be around. Hisashi doesn't have any siblings so you'll be his only aunt. Though between Hisashi's parents and the baby's godmother Renaka-san, he'll get plenty of doting."

"Good. Well Uu-chan, I'm going to head home. I'll give you a call later this week. Maybe I'll take your boyfriend to a buffet and let him eat himself into labor."

"Hardy har har, Yuko." Yuu muttered. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before she went back out into the living room, bidding Hisashi farewell before she left.

After ordering their dinner from a nearby restaurant, Yuu headed over to the couch and sat down next to Hisashi, draping his arm around the blond's shoulder.

"Hey Yuu," Hisashi piped up with a hidden smile.

"Hmm?"

"Did I hear her calling you 'Uu-chan?'"

Yuu's eyes flickered and he scowled as he picked up the remote, trying to ignore the snicker in his Hisashi's voice.

"Absolutely not."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone and thank you for the super chocolately fudge coated reviews!<br>**

**This chapter is for my sweet seme hound who needed a little pick me up :) **

**And like I said, we are getting close to delivery. An's wedding is up next!**

**Flu Love, **

**TBF101**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty-Six: Wedding**

Ritsu watched with a broad smile on his face as An and Shousuke walked down the center aisle of the church together, hand in hand. The day of the wedding had come, and being a very progressive woman, An had decided to do a mostly western-style ceremony in a church. She wore a beautiful embroidered strapless gown and looked absolutely stunning. Ritsu sat in the front row with Takano and An's parents, and he glanced back among the rows every now and then. Ritsu's parents had also been invited, but were noticeably absent, though An had mentioned they had sent a wedding gift. But even though he was a little forlorn that his mother was going through such lengths to avoid him, it could hardly spoil his mood. He was so happy for An and her to be that he hardly noticed his surroundings.

That is, except Takano. The dark haired man also supported a smile as couple passed and stepped up to the altar, and he reached over to take Ritsu's hand. His expression grew even softer as Ritsu allowed him, even squeezing back as the vows began.

It had taken them so long to get here. His journey with Ritsu had begun ten years ago, but it had not ended with Ritsu's confession three months prior. Ever since that day, the two men had worked day in and day out on their relationship, and not all of it had been pleasant. The two still disagreed on a few fronts, especially concerning work, but had learned to can the arguing and agree to disagree. Ritsu especially had learned to be patient with Takano's sometimes blunt points of view, though Masamune had softened considerably as Ritsu neared the end of his pregnancy.

Ritsu had officially moved in with Takano two months ago, and the two had transformed the office into a nursery, though it was still partially filled with boxes of Ritsu's books.

The closer they came to the due date, which was three weeks away, the more Takano thought about becoming a father, and he had resolved to be the best dad he could be. Between the two of them, they had enough emotional baggage from their parents to fill an airport, and they would be very cautious not to give their daughters the same issues. Sometimes at night, Takano lay awake and wondered if he would adhere to his resolve. He knew Ritsu would be a good dad. He could already sense the bond his lover and the unborn twins shared, and he was almost jealous of it.

But as a man who worked in a high-pressure environment, the professional in Takano could sense that he might be overreacting to this whole thing…

Takano's brow arched and his face momentarily turned mortified as he stopped that train of thought. Overreacting? His partner was on the verge of bursting out his own flesh and blood! He had every right to freak the fuck out!

"Masamune?"

Takano turned to Ritsu, who was looking at him strangely.

"Are you all right?" He whispered. "You're giving an odd expression."

"Yeah, I'm fine… An-san looks nice in her dress."

"She does," Ritsu smiled, looking at his childhood friend. "I'm happy she chose to be our babies' godmother."

Takano nodded and squeezed Ritsu's hand as An and Shousuke began to drink the wedding sake, finalizing their pact of love and matrimony.

"Ritsu," He murmured. "Do you think someday, you'll stand by an altar with me?"

Green eyes widened and Ritsu turned to his partner, who was giving him a crooked grin. But realizing the proposal behind it was genuine, the brunet blushed, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"If gay marriage is ever legalized here….maybe."

Takano hummed in agreement and wrapped an arm around Ritsu's shoulders as the newly wedded couple shared their first kiss. The bells of the church began to ring in celebration, not just for traditional love, but also for love shared between the two unlikeliest of people, which was now reality for Ritsu and Masamune.

* * *

><p>After the ceremony and a plethora of pictures, everyone headed over to the hotel where the reception was being held. The venue had been decorated beautifully and crowds of relatives and friends ate and drank in celebration of the newlyweds. However, one person found it a little difficult to enjoy his food. Ever since the ride from the church with the rest of the wedding party, Ritsu had begun to feel a bit queasy, and the rich wedding food wasn't settling well with him.<p>

He sipped a bit of club soda as he watching An and Shousuke cut their wedding cake, putting a hand to his belly and gently rubbing.

"Hey, you all right?" Takano asked, looking at him with concern. Nine months of pregnancy and he had learned to read when Ritsu wasn't feeling well, even if it was only the slightest of cues.

"Uh, just a little nauseous. I'm fine, really." Ritsu reassured, setting his glass down. Takano wasn't very convinced and kept an eye on his partner as speeches and congratulations were given. Finally, when Ritsu was looking particularly miserable, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of stomach tablets.

"Here, take a couple of these," He said, holding out the pills. Ritsu shook his head, his face turning pale as he once again patted the area around his belly button.

"Ritsu," Takano said with an edge in his voice. "Talk to me. Do you need to lie down? I can go get us a room that you can rest in."

"It's…not that." Ritsu replied shakily. He cleared his throat and turned to Takano with a slight smile. "Masamune, listen to me: I need you to stay calm, all right?"

"Why?"

"Because…My belly button is leaking. I'm going into labor."

Takano's entire face dropped to the floor as he reached over and tugged away Ritsu's suit jacket, revealing a small, clear stain near the front of his baby bump.

"It's kind of funny," Ritsu half laughed. "I told myself I wouldn't have these babies at my best friend's wedding, and I didn't…I had them at the reception. H—How's that for irony?"

And all semblance of the calm, clear headed professional that resided in Takano immediately evaporated.

"Oh my god…oh my fucking god!" He breathed, reaching up and roughly combing back some of his hair. "Are you okay? Are you in any pain? We gotta call somebody!"

"Masamune, calm down," Ritsu said quietly. "We'll be all right. We have an emergency bag in your car, so we can go straight to the hospital from here. I'm not even having contractions yet so we have a couple hours."

"Right," Takano panted. "I remember that. I'll go get the car right away."

"And make sure not to cause a scene," Ritsu murmured. "I don't want to ruin An's reception—"

"Rit-chan!" A familiar voice called from behind them. Ritsu turned and forced a smile as An and Shousuke came over to their table to greet them, but An's sharp senses immediately saw through both men.

"Are you two okay? Rit-chan, you look pale."

"I'm fine An-chan," Ritsu said. "I'm just feeling a little ill."

"Ill? Ritsu you look like…oh my god. You're in labor, aren't you?"

Ritsu's face fell that he'd been seen through and he silently nodded, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"Shou-chan!" An quickly said. "Get the valet and have them bring Takano-san's car to the front of the hotel. I'll round up the groomsmen to help get Rit-chan out there, and we'll follow in the limo."

"Right." Shousuke said, walking briskly out of the room.

"What?" Ritsu protested. "No, An-chan, this is your special day. You should stay here with your guests."

"The venue is nearly complete anyways," An replied. "Besides, I'm not letting you and Takano-san go through this by yourselves. I want to see the birth of my goddaughters."

"But—"

"No buts, Ritsu," An replied, her mind made up. She then scampered off and quickly brought back Shikijo, Michael, and a couple more of the groomsmen.

"Remember to breathe," Shikijo said as Takano and Michael each took one of Ritsu's arms and helped him out of his chair. "It's really going to help you."

"I know, thank you," Ritsu murmured. All of a sudden he gasped and dipped his head as pain welled up in his abdomen.

"Are you having a contraction?" Shikijo asked worriedly. Ritsu nodded and the other man paled.

"How long ago did your water break?"

"A few minutes…"

"Oh lord, you guys have to get him out of here," Shikijo said. "If he's already having contractions, those babies are coming out sooner than later."

At this declaration, Takano and Michael hurriedly but gently rushed Ritsu out of the room, ignoring the stares and whispers from the other party guests. An's husband was waiting for them at the door.

"Onodera-san," Shousuke said as they made it out of the room. "Your car is out front and I've had the front desk call Tokyo Central Hospital. An and I will be right behind you."

"Shikijo-san," Takano said. "Would you mind riding with us? I need someone to make sure he's all right while I drive."

"No problem," Shikijo replied. "Michael, go get Mark and ride with Shousuke. We'll see you there!"

"Hang in there Ritsu," Takano whispered into his lover's ear as they made it out to the car. "You're gonna be all right."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! We're onto the rising action and I'm almost up to 600 reviews! :3 happy day. <strong>

**Ricchan14, puppyfacetwo, sunset siren curse, hiyokocchi, Alana kitty-chan, Annalisse Rubisher, fionamoto, randomlycandy4life, loopyhutton, Kiyame Hikari-chan, Shaariin13, starrynight1987, and Guest- Thank you all for your awesome reviews! You guys rock!**

**Don't Preach- ahh darling, your reviews make this bird sing. So glad you are enjoying both couples and your lemon review made me so happy. Hope this satisfies your flu craving :) **

**Okay, so I'm going to be a tease and have the next chapter be Artistica. *runs from readers * Hope to see you all there!**

**With Love (all the way to the hospital),**

**TBF101**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Surprise**

"Yuu-kun, are you nearly done with your sketches?" Renaka asked from across the table. With a final stroke of his pen, Yuu breathed a sigh and nodded.

"Yep. They're all done."

"Wonderful," Renaka replied, gathering up her own drawing tools. "Just in time, our author should be arriving any minute."

Yuu began to clear his drawing table in Renaka's workroom at Marukawa, wanting everything to be neat. Today they would be meeting with Professor Kamijou to finalize the storyboard and the character sketches for the new yaoi manga _Beautiful Way_, and truthfully, Yuu was a little curious as to what their author would be like. He couldn't quite decide on a traditional or progressive side, and came to the conclusion that Kamijou, at least from his work, was somewhere in between.

Finally, a knock came from the door and Yuu and Renaka both stood.

"Come in," She called.

"Excuse me," A gruff voice replied as the door opened. Yuu was hard pressed not to stare as a man of average height walked in who had almost the exact same coloring as him. In fact, if Kamijou's height and hair were a bit shorter, the resemblance would be uncanny. The professor seemed to notice this as well and cast several flickering glances as Renaka bustled over to meet him.

"It's a pleasure, Kamijou-Sensei. I'm Rurouri Renaka and I'll be the head mangaka of your series."

"It's my pleasure as well Rurouri-Sensei, I'm Kamijou Hiroki," He replied politely. Yuu also came over and bowed.

"Yanase Yuu, I'm Rurouri-Sensei's primary assistant."

More pleasantries were exchanged and Renaka finally invited Kamijou to sit down and take a look at their story boards and plot notes. At first, Kamijou was a bit awkward, like he knew nothing about the manga making process, but Renaka seemed to sense this and made sure to explain everything thoroughly. And as the meeting went on, the uncomfortable expression he wore faded and he looked very pleased with the work.

"I must admit," Kamijou said to Renaka. "That I was not comfortable at first with the thought of my book being turned into a manga. But, seeing your ideas and the way you approach your work, you've really changed my mind."

"Thank you, Kamijou-sensei," Renaka smiled. "From your writing I can see you are a meticulous and thorough person, and it's perfectly natural to feel wary of a new form of storytelling. I too would feel some level of discomfort if someone had the desire to turn one of my mangas into a novel."

Kamijou nodded in agreement.

"Yes, uh my partner is actually quite a fan of yours."

"Oh really? Well I'd love to give him a signed book. Yuu, will you go next door and grab a volume of my latest work?"

Yuu went and retrieved the manga and handed it to Renaka.

"What's your partner's name, Kamijou-sensei?" She asked. The author blushed the slightest bit and replied.  
>"Uh, Kusama Nowaki."<p>

The name rang faint bells in Yuu's mind and he turned to Kamijou.

"Your partner wouldn't happen to be a doctor, would he?"

"Uh yes, he is," Kamijou replied in surprise. Yuu then stood and gave the author a bow of gratitude.

"It's a great pleasure to meet the partner of Kusama-sensei. When my pregnant boyfriend was in the hospital, he came by to visit us and he really helped us out."

Kamijou blushed again and regarded Yuu in surprise.

"I see. I'm…glad he could help you. How far along is your partner?"

"Seven months," Yuu replied proudly. "Kusama-sensei must be pretty big right now, seeing as how he's having twins."

"Yes, he is," Kamijou replied. "Though he's handling it well."

"I'm glad to hear that, Kamijou-sensei," Renaka said. "From the way my son talked, Kusama-sensei was a big help."

"Your son?" Kamijou said in surprise.

"My boyfriend," Yuu answered. "Hisashi and Rurouri-sensei are very close."

"If I may be so bold sensei," Renaka said. "May I have your mailing address? I'd love to send you both more books as a thank you."

"Uh no, that's not necessary," Kamijou replied, a little flustered with all the attentions. But Renaka insisted and Yuu was all smiles as they wrapped up the meeting. He could hardly wait to tell Hisashi.

* * *

><p>"Sashi? Are you in here?" Yuu quietly asked as he looked inside his bedroom door. He and Renaka had just gotten back to his house and Hisashi was noticeably absent from the couch. Yuu saw a lump in his bed and walked over, finding Steve lying on the floor. When he passed, the dog lifted his head and gently whined.<p>

"Hisashi?" Yuu said worriedly as he pulled back the covers. His blond boyfriend opened his eyes and gave Yuu a small smile.

"Hey, I was just a little nauseous so I thought I'd take a nap."

"Oh, sorry for waking you."

"It's okay. Could you get me some water?"

"Sure," Yuu said, kissing Hisashi's forehead gently before going into the bathroom. He filled a glass up and then rifled through his cabinets for some anti-nausea tablets. When he brought them back, Hisashi had propped himself up against the headboard and accepted the medicine gratefully.

"I talked to my dad today," the blond said.

"That's good. How are they doing?"

"Fine. My dad says he wants to come down from Hokkaido when the baby's born. My step-mom too."

"Great," Yuu smiled. "I imagine your dad will love being a grandpa."

"Are you kidding? It's all he talked about," Hisashi said wearily. "We skyped for nearly three hours because he just kept going."

Yuu laughed quietly, but his smile faded as he saw Hisashi wince.

"Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

Hisashi nodded, his face going pale.

"Yeah, I don't know what's wrong. I didn't eat anything weird today."

"Maybe we should go to the doctor tomorrow," Yuu said, sitting down and gently combing back Hisashi's sweaty bangs. The blond flinched again randomly, and Yuu's face grew worried.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"My stomach…it hurts." Hisashi groaned, gritting his teeth in pain. Yuu quickly pulled back the covers and his eyes went wide as he saw a large stain on the front of Hisashi's shirt. He pulled back that as well and noticed that Hisashi's bellybutton was filled with clear fluid.

"Sashi," He whispered. "You're belly button's wet."

"I know," the blond said. "I've been sweating all afternoon."

"No Hisashi! You're belly button is leaking fluid! Oh my god. Stay right there! I'm going to call an ambulance. No…it would be faster to go in Renaka's car. Renaka-san!"

"Yuu! What's wrong?" Hisashi asked in confusion. Hearing Yuu's call, Renaka quickly came into the room and Yuu whispered something in her ear.

"I'll get the car," She breathed in a panic, flying out of the room. Yuu quickly went to the closet and pulled out several sweatshirts, which he brought over to the bed.

"Here, put these on. We're going to the hospital."  
>"Yuu, but why?" Hisashi pleaded. Yuu looked at him in amazement, and took both of his shoulders.<p>

"Hisashi, stay calm, but listen to me: you're belly button is leaking amniotic fluid….you're going into premature labor."

The blond entire face fell for a second before his eyes went wide with panic.

"Yuu!" He said, tears beginning to fill his eyes. "What does that mean?! Will Atsushi be all right?!"

"I don't know Sashi," Yuu said, also blinking rapidly. "Come on, we're going to the hospital."

* * *

><p><strong>Looks like we're all headed to the hospital :) Nostalgia is up next. A big thank you to all the wonderful people that reviewed!<br>**

**Love, **

**TBF101**


	49. Chapter 49

**Just a quick note: if you're still confused about the mechanics of flu births I highly suggest you read chapter 20 of Cerberus Revised's original "Uke Flu." I'm going entirely off of that and notes that were given to me concerning the flu birthing process. **

**Enjoy!  
>TBF101<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Eight: Birth I<strong>

"Ah! AH! Oh my god…" Ritsu panted as he lay in the hospital bed, suffering through his latest contraction. When the pain somewhat subsided, he rested his sweaty head against his pillow, trying to ignore the pain in his abdomen.

"Oh Rit-chan," An said tenderly, brushing his bangs back from his forehead. Ritsu smiled gratefully at his friend, as today had been quite an ordeal for her as well.

They had all arrived at the hospital as quickly as they could, but it was quite a sight to see four men in tuxes and a bride all helping a pregnant uke to the maternity ward. Shousuke, Shikijo, and Michael and baby Mark were all out in the waiting room. An had changed out of her wedding dress after Ritsu was admitted, but she still looked out of place, though she was handling the situation much better than Takano was.

The man who frightened people in his daily routine was an absolute wreck. He sat in a chair at Ritsu's side, his eyes staring blankly at the floor.

"Takano-san?" An asked. "Are you all right? You look paler than Rit-chan."

"I'm fine," He replied blandly, loosening his tie for the third time. "When's that damn doctor going to get here?"

"The nurse said he'd be here as quickly as he could. Apparently there's another birth somewhere in the ward that he had to see to."

Takano growled under his breath and stood up, walking irritably around the room.

"Masamune," Ritsu murmured. "Calm down. I'll be okay."

Takano sighed and went back to Ritsu's side, carefully taking one of his hands and holding it. But his face grew worried again as Ritsu began to gasp in pain, his knuckles turning white from his grip.

"I'm calling the nurse to give you some painkillers." Takano said, pressing the call button.

"No…no meds…" Ritsu gasped.

"What?"

"I don't want them…I want to do it naturally."

"Ritsu, that's insane!" Takano gaped. "You're in pain and you're going to take something for it if I have to hold you down myself."

"Masamune," Ritsu said firmly. "Don't feel like you always have to fix everything. I wouldn't try for a natural birth unless I really thought I could do it. So sit down."

At his lover's quiet command, Takano's anger simmered and he sat down, running a hand roughly through his hair.

"Fine," He said. "But I know how stubborn you can be. If it gets to be too much, you're going to take something."

"Deal," Ritsu murmured, taking a shaky breath as he felt another contraction begin to build up.

"Where's the fucking doctor?" Takano growled, standing up again and heading towards the door. But right when he opened it, he found the nurse and a man in a white coat on the other side.

"Gensei-sensei is here," The nurse said, gesturing to the man.

"Ah, Onodera-san, I see you're in early," Gensei-said, coming to Ritsu's bedside. "Frankly I'm not surprised. A lot of men of small stature seem to have difficulty with the bodily changes, so premature births are common. You must have quite the stamina to have carried these twins as long as you have."

Ritsu nodded, trying not to smile at Takano's comment about his stubbornness as Gensei looked at his chart.

"And you're already having contractions? Has the nurse given you any sort of painkillers?"

"No, I want to have my children naturally," Ritsu replied shakily. Gensei frowned.  
>"It's your choice, but I would advise against it. You see as the birthing canal is through your navel, the skin will begin to split shortly and it causes significant pain. Are you sure you're up for that?"<p>

"Yes, I'm prepared." Ritsu gasped as the pain welled up again.

"How far apart are you contractions?" Gensei asked with concern.

"About three minutes," An answered.

"Goodness, those twins are coming out soon. Onodera-san, we're going to position you for the birthing. Do you know what that means?"

Unable to reply, Ritsu dipped his chin and tried not to cry out as the nurse adjusted the angle of his bed, pushing his body into almost a forty-five degree angle.

"Unlike maternal births, flu births are done completely through the abdomen," Gensei explained. "And so when the time comes, Onodera-san will need to do a sit-up in order to push the babies out. Since he's chosen not to take any drugs, we'll want to do this as quickly as possible to minimize the pain. Onodera-san, could you please spread your arms out?"

Ritsu put his arms out to the side, being careful of the IV hooked up to his wrist. Takano instinctively sensed what they were doing and took one of Ritsu's elbows, hooking his own underneath it.

"That's it," Gensei said, as the nurse took the other side. "This way we can help you when the time comes. Now I'm just going to take a look at your navel."

The doctor lifted up Ritsu's hospital smock and peered at his elongated belly button, which was weeping heavily with amniotic fluid. But his eyes widened as he carefully palpated it.

"Onodera-san, the babies are definitely on their way. They could be ready to emerge as soon as ten minutes."

"What?" Ritsu exclaimed. "But I've only been in labor for barely an hour!"

"I know, it's baffling," Gensei said, taking off his glasses and wiping a speck from them. "The only explanation could be that they've grown so big they've burst through the fetal sac and induced early and fast labor."

Ritsu could hardly believe what he was hearing, but suddenly another contraction came, and it was so powerful he cried out loud. The pain was longer and heavier than the previous times and tears gathered at corners of his eyes as he tried to process it all. The contraction only lasted a few minutes, but to Ritsu it seemed like eternity, and he was panting with exertion when it finally subsided. The brunet collapsed against the hospital bed, sweating and shivering like he never had before.

"Ritsu? Are you okay?" Takano pressed, squeezing this partner's hand. Ritsu looked like he was in unbearable pain, and Takano felt helpless to ease it. "Can you go on?"

"Yes," Ritsu choked out right before another contraction overtook him. It was then that he felt the skin of his slit-like navel begin to split open, like something was clawing its way out of him.

"Your canal is opening," Gensei said. "Onodera-san, we need you to sit up and crunch your abdomen!"

Ritsu gritted his teeth and nodded, but as he tried to do as the doctor said, he felt his strength waning and pain overtake his mind. The last thing his body wanted to do was sit up and push the babies out, but he had to. But suddenly, he felt Takano and the nurse grip his arms and gently pull him up.

"Come on Ritsu!" Takano urged tenderly. "You can do it! I believe in you."

"Ahhhh!" Ritsu screamed as felt his abdomen contract. Tears screamed down his cheeks and he struggled to breathe as he pushed forward. The rest of his navel ripped open in one deft tear and Ritsu felt something round and heavy push its way out of his stomach.

"You're crowning!" Gensei said as more nurses scurried about in preparation for the newborn. "Give it all you've got!"

With a final gut-wrenching scream, Ritsu pushed himself forward and felt the rest of the object slide out. He was in a daze of pain and adrenaline when a single noise pierced through the haze and woke him up.

It was the cry of a newborn baby girl.

Ritsu opened his eyes and looked at messy, wailing bundle cradled in a nurse's arms, and tears immediately began to fill them.

"Ritsuka," He breathed, salt water spilling down his face. Takano too stared at the baby, his golden eyes filled with absolute wonder.

"Keep going Onodera-san," Gensei urge, pulling both of them out of their stupor. "You've still got one left to go! Push!"

* * *

><p><strong>Artistica Next. Stay tuned.<strong>


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Forty-Nine: Birth II**

Yuu was in the Tokyo Central hospital, pacing in the hallway. Hisashi was in a room in the maternity ward, though with the way he was, Yuu wondered if they shouldn't be in the psych ward again. The blond had turned into a complete mess on the way down, and even though he was a ways from the door, Yuu could still hear his low sobs. Hisashi's anxiety had shot through the roof and they'd already given him drugs to offset a panic attack, though it hardly seemed to calm him down.

Yuu was so distressed himself he couldn't stand to be in the room. He had always been very adept at empathizing with others, and right now he knew exactly how Hisashi felt. To have the life of Atsushi be in danger was the ultimate blow and Yuu feared how his boyfriend would cope should the worst happen…

Tears gathered in the corners of the brunet's eyes and Yuu shook his head roughly. No, he couldn't think like that. He had to stay strong. They were going to be fine.

But even as he told himself that, Yuu breathed a silent prayer that their baby would live, though the odds were stacked against them.

Rushed footsteps rang in his ears and Yuu glanced down the other end of the hallway, where he saw a doctor and several nurses coming their way. It wasn't their usual doctor, Gensei-sensei, but as the group approached one of the nurses recognized Yuu and quickly made an introduction.

"Yanase-san, this is Sakurai-sensei. Gensei-sensei is with another patient right now but Sakurai-sensei specializes in flu births as well."

Yuu nodded and turned to the man, who despite his composed demeanor, had kindness in his eyes.

"Please," Yuu said with a low bow. "Do everything you can."

"I will, Yanase-san," Sakurai said soberly. "Now tell me about Araki-san."

"I don't know how it happened," Yuu said. "But he just started to go into premature labor. His belly button is leaking all over the place."

"All right, let's go in and I'll have a look at him. But the case of your partner is actually very commonplace with flu births. Some men just don't have the biological coping skills to hold a baby for nine months so premature births are happening more and more."

"I guess I can see that," Yuu replied, though this didn't alleviate any of his worry. He led doctor Sakurai into the room, and was glad to see Hisashi looking a little better. Renaka sat next to the bed, holding his hand and gently talking to him and they both looked up as the group entered the room.

Guilt washed over Yuu as he saw Hisashi's eyes flood with relief as he saw his boyfriend, and Yuu quickly rushed to his side.

"This is Sakurai-sensei. He's going to help you. Can you tell us how you're feeling?"

"Strange," Hisashi choked out, his throat sore from sobbing. "My stomach doesn't hurt anymore but it feels fluttery, like it's pulsing. But my back really aches."

Sakurai nodded in understanding.

"Those symptoms are common during premature labor, but with flu births things go a little differently." The doctor walked over to Hisashi and gently felt his baby bump for a few seconds.

"Yep, those are contractions you're having. The baby could be here any time."

"But," Hisashi stuttered. "I always heard that contractions were painful. Why can't I feel them?"

"It's common for premature births to be far less painful than normal ones. However, once your navel begins to split that will be a different story."  
>"What do you mean?" Yuu asked.<p>

"Well in flu births, the belly button elongates into a slit and rips open during the crowning, but as yours is still normal sized…frankly it's going to be quite painful. I'll have a nurse put you on painkillers right away to ease your discomfort.

"And if worst comes to worst, there is the option of a C-section."

Hisashi swallowed nervously and his lip began to quiver. Yuu noticed and reached down to squeeze his hand as the blond asked the hardest question yet.

"What are the chances of At—the baby surviving?"

Sakurai smiled somberly.

"You are one of the lucky ones Araki-san, as fetuses seven months or older have a high chance of survival. However once the baby is born, we will have to rush him over to the neonatal intensive care unit for tests, just to make sure he's healthy.

"Now, if you're ready, I'd like to get you on an epidural to ease your pain."

Hisashi nodded and allowed the nurses to hook up the tiny needle to his spine, and after a few minutes he felt the pain in his back dull. When they were done, Yuu pulled up a chair to Hisashi's side, always holding his hand in comfort.

"It's going to be okay, Sa-chan," Yuu murmured to him. Hisashi smiled gratefully and settled against his pillow, a little calmer now that his partner was with him. It was then that Yuu glanced across the bed to Renaka-san, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Renaka-san? Are you all right?" He asked.

"Hmm? Oh yes Yuu, I'm fine," She replied with a smile that didn't quite touch her eyes. "It's just hard for a mother not to worry."

Yuu nodded understandingly, as he too was on pins and needles as the nurses began to set up in preparation for the birth.

"Araki-san," One of them said. "We're going to adjust your bed. Are you familiar with flu birthing procedures?"

"Yes," Hisashi nodded, though right now he was so nervous all he could do was squeeze Yuu's hand as the next fifteen minutes passed. It was then that doctor Sakurai once again timed his contractions and found him to be ready for pushing.

"All right Araki-san," He said. "We need you to pull yourself up in order to open the navel canal. Do you want help?"

A pale Hisashi nodded and Sakurai directed Yuu and Renaka to each of the blond's arms to help assist with the pushing. But as Hisashi leaned forward and began, tears began to well up in his eyes again.

"It's not working," He sniffed. Sakurai also noticed that the belly button was not opening.

"Keep trying, it might take a few minutes."

Hisashi pushed harder and cried out as his belly button began to tear open, but not enough for a baby to pass through.

"If your canal doesn't open within the next couple minutes, Araki-san," Sakurai said tactfully. "I'm afraid we're going to have to do a C-section or the baby could possibly suffocate."

Hisashi's anxiety spiked and his breathing became labored as he began to panic, and he looked over at Yuu as his boyfriend suddenly dropped his arm.

"I have an idea," Yuu said. "Put the bed down a bit. I'm going to get behind him and help him push."

Sakurai's eyebrows rose at the idea but he slowly nodded.

"It could work. Hina-kun, adjust the bed."

The nurse complied and adjusted the head of the bed farther down so Yuu could sit behind Hisashi.

"Be careful Yuu-kun," Renaka said worriedly. Yuu nodded and hooked his elbows underneath Hisashi's armpits.

"Okay Sashi, let's get Atsushi out." He whispered in the blond's ear. Hisashi dipped his chin shakily and gasped as they both began to bear down against his stomach with double the force. The shear amount of strength surprised Hisashi and his eyes widened as he felt his stomach begin to rip open.

"Ahh!" He cried. While the epidural did block some of the pain, Hisashi was still mortified to see blood and clear fluid pour out of his abdomen. And the agony only increased as he felt the baby begin to crown.

"Keep going," Sakurai said. "You're almost there!"

Hisashi grabbed onto his knees and gave a final heave, and found a small wet form emerge from his stomach. Hisashi and Yuu stared down at their son's face and sticky curls, and waited on needles for him to make a sound.

"Nurse!" Sakurai called. One of the ladies raced forward and wrapped the newborn in a blanket, and the second she picked him up, Atsushi let out a creaky wail.

Hisashi collapsed against Yuu with unfathomable belief and with teary eyes watched his baby being carted off to the NICU.

"Yuu, go with him." He murmured as the nurses began to prepare to stitch up his ripped stomach. Yuu nodded and rushed after them. And even though they still had a ways to go before getting out of the danger zone, they both were just happy that Atsushi had made it.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is dedicated to my darling Cerberus Revised. Without her we never would have had the Uke Flu, let alone these births. So three cheers for the tri-hound! This chapter is for you my cyber seme.<br>**

**And Vincent Claudius, pinky5907, starrynight1987, puppyfacetwo, sunset siren curse, hiyokocchi, MorallyEvil, Annalisse Rubisher, nekocandy4life, fionamoto, Chiho Kazusa, gothpandaotaku, and Kiyame Hikari-chan- thank you all for your awesome reviews. I treasure them all and hope you wonderful readers enjoyed the latest chapter. **

**Nostalgia next. Kisses!**

**TBF101**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty: Glow**

Night had fallen on the hospital, and Takano was staring out at the city lights. The room was dim and it made the glowing dots all the more brighter. But Takano felt the lights paled in comparison to Ritsu. He looked over to the hospital bed, where Ritsu was snoring softly in a deep sleep. Takano didn't blame him one bit for being tired, in fact, he was amazed at his partner.

He was grateful for Ritsu's friends as well. Even though An and Shousuke had their honeymoon to leave for, they still managed to stay a while. Between them and Shikijo's family, there had been many congratulations, but now everyone had gone to give Ritsu some much needed rest.

The man's amber eyes looked down to the bundle in his arms, a slight smile tugging at his mouth. Newborn Onodera Ritsuka too was sleeping, as she had been for most of the day. He then glanced over to the hospital cradle where her twin Masako lay, also in a deep slumber. The doctor had been a little worried when it had taken nearly ten minutes for the second baby to emerge, but after numerous tests, it was revealed that both girls were perfectly healthy.

But the real winner was Ritsu. Just looking down at the six-pound babies, Takano couldn't believe he had carried them inside his belly for so long. And even though he was worn out, Ritsu was positively glowing in his sleep with happiness. He had said over and over how beautiful his babies were and Takano entirely agreed. Both girls had dark chestnut hair and lovely emerald eyes, and you could clearly see semblances of each parent in their faces.

Takano leaned down and gently kissed Ritsuka's forehead and the newborn gurgled in her sleep.

"I can see Ritsu in your face," He murmured gently. "You're going to be a little spitfire."

The baby cooed again and then began to stir, letting out quiet cries. Not wanting to wake Ritsu, Takano quickly walked out of the room and down the hall, tenderly cradling her. She quieted down as he turned a corner and he chuckled.

"You better get used to this," He said. "I pace like crazy."

Takano continued walking through the quiet maternity ward, gently murmuring to his baby girl. It was surprising to him that he could become attached to this small life form so quickly, considering he always kept most people at a distance. But somehow the fact that they were Ritsu's, and his for that matter, sparked a candle of love for them. That wasn't to say that he wasn't scared of what the future held. But for now, he was more content than he had been in a long time, and he was glad for it. Ritsu's pregnancy was finally over, and it was now time for a new beginning.

As Takano walked, he came to a new section of the ward, where he saw a glass window to a room with a bunch of newborns sleeping inside. Ritsu had been adamant that the girls were not to be separated from him, so they were staying with him in the room. But wanting to do a little parent-biased comparison, Takano headed over, and was surprised to see his coworker Yanase standing in front of it.

"Yanase-san?"

The brunet turned to him in surprise.

"Takano-san. I'm sorry, I just didn't expect to see you here…That baby wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?"

Takano smiled proudly.

"Yes, she was born today. Her name is Ritsuka."

Yuu smiled at the irony.

"My son was also born today."

"You're kidding," Takano replied. "Wait, isn't that a little early for your partner? I seem to recall that he was a few months behind Ritsu."

"Yes," Yuu nodded with a somber expression. "He was born prematurely."

"I'm sorry. How is he doing?"

Yuu gestured to the glass window. Takano headed over and looked inside at the cradle Yuu pointed to, where a tiny bundle with golden blond curls was sleeping. The newborn was hooked up to several monitors, and just the sight of those tubes and wires made Takano endlessly thankful that his babies were not in the same position.

"Well," Yuu said. "He only weighs about three and a quarter pounds so he's a little underweight, but other than that they haven't found any huge concerns. Even so, we'll all be here at least a week for observation."

"And how's Araki-san?"

"Much better than he was. The doctor expects him to make a full recovery. What about your partner? How is he?"

"Onodera is just fine, considering he's twelve pounds lighter." Takano replied.

"That's right, he was carrying twins." Yuu said, looking down at Ritsuka and smiling. "Would you mind…if I held her?"

"Not at all," Takano said. Even though he was feeling rather protective of his baby, he knew Yanase couldn't hold his own at the moment, and the yearning in his coworker's eyes was heart wrenching. With gentle hands, he passed Ritsuka to Yanase, who cradled her in his arms as if she were his own.

"Wow," Yuu murmured, awestruck by the newborn. "She feels so little."

"I know," Takano smiled. "First time I held her, I was so afraid I was going to drop her."

Yuu nodded understandingly, glancing between Takano's baby, and his own just beyond the glass. And after a few minutes, he handed her back to Takano.

"Well, I need to be getting back," Yuu said with a slight bow. "I hope everything goes well for you and Onodera-san. Good luck with your children."

"Thank you, and I wish you the same." Takano said, awkwardly bowing back with the bundle in his arms. After Yanase left, Takano decided to head back to the room and see how Ritsu was doing. When he got back into the room, he was surprised to see him awake, Masako sleeping in his slender arms.

"There you are," Ritsu said as Takano shut the door. "I mean, you two."

"Should you be up?" Takano asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You had a rough day."

"I've been sleeping all afternoon," Ritsu replied, rocking Masako back and forth. "I'm restless."

"How's your stomach feel?"

"Fine, thanks to the morphine," Ritsu said. Takano smiled, recalling how easily Ritsu's "no painkillers" resolve crumbled after the labor and stitches to his belly button. Having two children had ripped his abdomen open a little too far, and the doctor insisted on them, even though he claimed the wound would heal quite fast and there would be minimal scarring. Takano watched as Ritsu leaned comfortably back on his pillow, snuggling with Masako.

"Watcha' thinking about?" Takano asked, scooting closer to him. Ritsu smiled.

"Oh just all the things I'll be able to do now that I've had my babies. I mean, I'm a little sad that it's over, but I miss doing things."

"Well you could start exercising," Takano replied with a glint in his eye. "You have a bit of baby fat to lose."

Ritsu let out a laughing snort and sighed.

"No, I mean like going to work again…though, I guess that probably won't happen for a while. Someone needs to stay home and take care of these two."

"Nonsense," Takano said, taking Ritsu's hand. "I'm not going to leave you to do all the work at home. We'll take turns."

"But isn't homemaking what ukes do best?" Ritsu smiled sarcastically.

"Well if you want to put on a nice apron and conveniently forget the rest of your clothes, I won't mind." Takano purred.

Ritsu blushed and would have given Masamune a light smack had he not had a baby in his arms. Instead, he turned his attention to Masako and smiled tenderly, kissing her forehead.

"This one's going to be trouble," Ritsu said. "She looks just like you."

"I was thinking the same thing about Ritsuka," Takano chuckled, rocking the tiny girl in his arms. "Between me and you, we're going to have a pair of troublemakers on our hands."

At this prospect, Ritsu's smile faded.

"Oh I'm sure we're both just exaggerating. They'll be sweet."

Takano smiled and moved to lay down next to his partner, and as the four of them all came together, feelings of contentment settled upon them like a gentle snow. It was now time for a new beginning for all. And it glowed all the more because Ritsu and Masamune loved both their children, and each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoo! With this I've topped 50 chapters! Thank you all for your continued support: favs, subscriptions, and reviews! <strong>

**Artistica is next naturally. **

**Mrs. EXOtic, Vincent Claudius, Annalisse Rubisher, pinky5907, puppfacetwo, sunset siren curse, Rowan xx, nekocandy4life, starrynights1987, fionamoto, gothpandaotaku, and Kiyame Hikari-chan- an extra big thank you to all you reviewers! So happy to hear from you all and I send great big hugs to all of you!**

**And to my dear Cerberus, it seems we're now at a tie with our UF chapters. I am so humbled to be a part of your UF team and be a part of this giant masterpiece of a story. Big flu kisses to you!**

**Love, **

**TBF101**


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty-One: Hope**

Yuu lazily opened his eyes and stretched his arms with a hearty yawn. He had dozed off again in the chair beside Hisashi's bed. They had spent the night at the hospital and Yuu hadn't gotten much sleep. Not only was the hospital cot subpar, but his mind had been wide awake with worries. Worries for Hisashi and Atsushi both.

He glanced over to the bed to his boyfriend, who was watching the TV with dead eyes. Ever since the birth he had seemed a little down, which the doctor attributed to acute post partum depression. The sensei had had a long talk with Hisashi yesterday about it, as the blond had shown he was at a high risk for it with a past history of mental issues. But as he was already on an anti-depressant, the doctor had only given them the name of a specialized counselor, whom Yuu fully intended to contact once immediate things were taken care of. Though truly, he didn't think Hisashi's baby blues were entirely hormonal, but rather the stress of the premature birth and the awful fact that their baby was still in the NICU being tested for just about everything. Yuu himself was having a hard time not seeing his baby, and he imagined Hisashi was feeling twice as bad. He'd hardly said a word all day and this morning he started crying for no apparent reason. Renaka-san and Yuu had done their best to comfort him, but now his surrogate mother had run out unexpectedly on an errand, leaving just the two of them.

Yuu sighed and got up, choosing to sit on the edge of the bed. He then reached over and grasped Hisashi's white, lifeless hand, giving it a squeeze. Hisashi didn't look over, but Yuu noticed his eyes blinking back moisture.

"Yuu," He whispered. "Do you think Atsushi is okay?"

"I don't know, Sa-chan….But, I do think if there was something majorly wrong, they would have told us by now."

Hisashi's eyes lifted at the suggestion and he gave a light nod. Believing in a false hope was better than believing in nothing. The two sat in silence for a time, holding each other's hands for comfort. And when they heard a knock on the door, both looked over with expectant and fearful eyes.

"Pardon the intrusion," Hisashi's nurse said with a wide smile. "But Sakurai-sensei has someone here to see you."

Yuu stood up as the doctor entered the room, and his heart leapt as another nurse came in behind Sakurai, carrying a blanketed bundle. She immediately went to Hisashi and handed it to him, and when he looked down, he saw the face of his tiny son.

"Atsushi-chan," He murmured with reverence, cradling the baby in his arms. Yuu turned to the doctor and bowed with unfathomable gratitude.

"Thank you Sensei," he said. Sakurai nodded back and flipped through the baby's chart.

"We've run every single test and I'm pleased to tell you that everything came out normal. He is a little underweight, so I'm going to refer you to a dietary pediatrician. We'd still like to you both to stay a few days just for observation, but for the most part, you're baby is a very lucky boy."

Yuu bowed again, hardly able to contain his joy, and when the doctor left, he went over to Hisashi's side, looking down at his son and smiling. Atsushi was indeed his father's son, with beautiful slate blue eyes and light skin. He was wearing a pastel blue baby cap, but a few wispy golden curls peaked out from beneath it. Atsushi gave a low gurgle as Hisashi cradled him, and Yuu noticed his partner blinking back tears again.

"You okay?" He asked.

Hisashi nodded, hastily wiping another tear away from his eye.

"I'm just so glad he's okay."

"Me too," Yuu murmured, leaning down over the baby's face. "Can I hold him?"

Hisashi nodded and Yuu gently reached out.

"At-su-shiii," He cooed, taking the bundle from Hisashi's arms. The baby felt so light in his arms he could hardly believe it, and the more he looked at his son, the wider his smile got.

"He looks just like you," Yuu said, blinking back some moisture. Hisashi laughed under his breath.

"That means he's probably going to be just like _you_."

"Wouldn't that be nice," Yuu grinned at his partner. Hisashi snorted and leaned back on his pillow, his medicine and all the broken tension making him drowsy. The last thing he wanted to do was sleep when his baby was finally with him, but soon his drooping eyelids were so obvious that Yuu spoke.

"Sa-chan, get some sleep. I'll watch Atsushi."

"You sure?"

"Of course," Yuu smiled, sitting down in a chair and cradling the baby. "I think it's about time I got to know my son."

Hisashi reluctantly nodded and curled up in the bed, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Hisashi's eyes fluttered open and he dazedly looked around the room. And a wave of relief flooded through him as he spotted Yuu standing near the window, Atsushi still held securely in his arms. As he watched his partner cuddle the newborn, Hisashi's lips crept into a small smile. Yuu was going to be a huge baby hog.<p>

_Knock. Knock. _

Yuu turned around and Hisashi sat up as they heard a rapping at the door.

"Come in," Yuu said, expecting it to be a nurse. However, when the door opened, the couple's mouths both dropped._  
><em>

"_Mein Sohn! Und mein Enkel! Ich kann ihm nicht glauben!" _

"Dad?" Hisashi said in complete surprise as his Japanese father burst into the room with German rolling off his tongue. Araki Hiroshi was the primary assistant to the Japanese ambassador and travelled extensively, making it quite a shock that he was here. And Hisashi was further surprised as his stepmother Saki quietly came in behind him, along with Renaka, whom Yuu regarded with a shaking head.

"I take it that 'errand' was to the airport?" He said. Renaka smiled.

"Well, I didn't know they were coming myself until I got a text this morning, so I figured it would be a nice surprise."

"Please no more surprises," Hisashi gasped as his dad gave him a too-tight hug. However, once greeting had all been given, all eyes turned towards the bundle in Yuu's arms. Hiroshi immediately melted at the sight of his grandson as he carefully took the baby from Yuu.

"Oh goodness," He murmured, rocking the newborn. "He reminds me of your late mother, Hisashi. So beautiful."

"Thanks dad," Hisashi smiled. Saki and Renaka gathered around Hiroshi, and their faces were both filled with wonder and joy as they all took turns holding the baby. Saki and Renaka were probably remembering the births of the own late sons, and were experiencing the miracle of life all over again through little Atsushi.

Renaka passed the baby back to Yuu, and gave Hisashi a sheepish smile.

"Sorry Sashi-chan, but there is one more surprise…though I think you'll find you like it."

"What is it?" Hisashi asked.

"Well son," Hiroshi interjected, exchanging a smile with Saki. "Your stepmom and I are moving to Tokyo to be closer to you and the baby. In fact, we're moving right up the street!"

"What?! You can't be serious." Hisashi exclaimed.

"And," Renaka said. "I'm moving here permanently as well. It's no use being stuck in Sapporo all by myself. I want to watch my godson grow up."

"Wow," Yuu said. "It'll really be great having Hisashi's whole family down here. I'm sure Atsushi will love it."

Hisashi smiled in agreement, but it faded as something else nagged at his mind.

"Yuu? Have you told your sister anything yet?"

Yuu looked at his in surprise.

"No. Why?"

"I'm sure she'd like to know. Why don't you call her? Atsushi is going to need his family as he grows Yuu, his whole family."

Yuu begrudgingly pondered this for a few seconds and sighed.

"I guess you're right. She should know…though don't blame me if Atsushi learns sarcasm before he hits his teens."

Hisashi laughed under his breath and took the baby from his partner before Yuu headed out into the hallway. As soon as he shut the door, he leaned against it, closing his eyes and sighing with unfathomable relief that his son was not only safe, but would live a good life, surrounded by friends and family.

And soon after, Yuu dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. And he not only called his sister, but his own mother as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved, and subscribed as this story has topped 100,000 words! WOOT!<br>**

**I know a lot of you are concerned that this story is ending soon, but don't worry. We still have at least 5 chapters to go :) and I'm sure it will please...or at least I hope. **

**Nostalgia is next, and it's a taste of baby life. Heh heh. **

**With love, **

**TBF101**


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter Fifty-Two: Baby Days**

(Six weeks later)

Takano sat at his desk in the living room, typing on his computer with only the screen for light. It was well past two in the morning and he was exhausted, but he kept typing his corrections for the storyboards for Kisa's authors. As luck would have it, his fax machine had broken that afternoon and would probably need replacing, so he had to type everything out by hand.

Fortunately, there were few edits in the storyboards and Kisa could handle his authors quite well. The junior editor had really stepped up his game since Ritsu had taken paternity leave, and Takano was very impressed with his handling of the magazine.

Even still, Takano was falling asleep as he finished and sent the email off, but he knew he couldn't go to bed just yet. As if on cue, a low wail came from the nursery and Takano sighed.

"Right on time," he mumbled, going into the other room and picking up Ritsuka out of her crib. He rested her against his chest and rocked her as she cried for seemingly no reason.

"Shhh," Takano cooed, walking back and forth along the hallway. "It's all right."

Standing up and holding the baby, Takano could feel every ache and pain of the day, but there was no way he could rest with the baby crying.

Looking back on everything, Takano couldn't believe how much two little girls could change his life. The magazine cycle looked like child's play compared to twin infants who had to be on a tight schedule of eating and sleeping. Despite Takano's promises that Ritsu would still be able to work, the couple had found it easier if he would take a leave and stay home with the girls while Takano worked at the office by day and took his baby shift in the evening. But despite their careful planning, both of them couldn't remember a time when they had been so exhausted and overworked.

After a few minutes of rocking, Ritsuka quieted her cries and Takano went to sit down on the couch. But when he sank back against the cushions, he immediately began to doze off and realized that wasn't the best of ideas. He began to pace again, and after a while, the baby finally went back to sleep.

But no sooner had he laid Ritsuka back in her crib than Masako woke and began to cry as well. Takano quickly picked her up and tried to get her out of the room before she woke her sister, but Ritsuka was a light sleeper and soon she was wide awake and crying as well.

Takano brow creased in utter despair as both girls began to wail, and he was at his wit's end of what to do when Ritsu appeared in the doorway.

"Come here Tsu-chan," he murmured, picking up the other baby and cradling her.

"Ritsu," Takano said over Masako's cries. "You should be in bed. It's my turn to watch them tonight."

"I couldn't sleep anyway," Ritsu replied. "And I took a nap this afternoon, just in case. Shouldn't you be in bed at this hour Masamune?"

"Not with our deadline for the storyboards two days away," Takano sighed. "And Ritsuka seems to wake up every hour on the hour."

"I know," Ritsu sighed. "But the older she gets, the better she'll be able to sleep through the night."

Takano yawned, rubbing Masako gently on the back.

"I don't know if I can wait that long. Between the twins and our deadlines, I feel like I haven't slept in weeks."

Ritsu gave him an apologetic smile and went to sit down on the couch.

"Maybe we should consider hiring a nanny."

"Seriously?" Takano said. "With our budget? We couldn't afford one."

"Well I might have a solution to that," Ritsu said. "Shousuke-san is going to be in Kyoto for a few weeks and An-chan is going to have some free time on her hands. I bet she'd be willing to come over and help me during the day."

"Good idea," Takano said. "You know, you have a good friend in her. She's really come through for us on several occasions."

"Yeah," Ritsu smiled. "Oh, and I have other news about her as well. She told me over the phone today."

"What?"

"An-chan is pregnant," Ritsu said excitedly. "She was going to tell us in person but she was too excited to wait."

"That's great," Takano smiled back. "Good for her."

"And our babies will be only a couple months apart, so they'll always have someone to play with. It's wonderful." Ritsu said. He was beaming so much that his voice nearly woke Ritsuka, who was now asleep again in his arms. As Masako had also drifted off, Takano and Ritsu silently got up and put them back in their cribs.

"You know what's really amazing," Takano said as he shut the door carefully behind them. "That you carried those two inside yourself for nine months. Looking at them now, they're growing like weeds."

"Yeah," Ritsu replied. "But oddly enough, I kind of miss the time when I was pregnant, even if half of it was awful. And I've still got some baby flab to lose." He said, patting his still roundish stomach.

"Nonsense," Takano grinned. "I think you look great. Better than that stick-thin haggard looking newbie who used to live on energy drinks."

"And the diabolical editor who pushed me to do so," Ritsu shot back playfully. Takano smiled and his arms crept around Ritsu's waist.

"You know, since we're up," Takano whispered into his ear. "We might as well 'get up.'

Ritsu blushed and retorted suspiciously.

"You sure you're not too tired?"

"Oh shove it. I have the stamina of a horse." Takano scoffed, sauntering down the hall. "Strip and be in the bedroom in two."

Ritsu blushed harder and rolled his eyes, but pulled his nightshirt over his head. He waited exactly five minutes before heading into the bedroom, and as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of Masamune passed out on the bed.

"Typical," he hmphed, before climbing in next to his lover, with a quick prayer that the babies would stay asleep for a few hours.

Meanwhile, across town, Yuu and Hisashi were also fast asleep, having been up with Atsushi as well. However they were still getting decent rest as their little boy was thankfully a sound sleeper.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone and thank you for your patience with the updates. Sorry this chapter is a little short, but I thought I shouldn't keep you guys any longer. Hope you enjoyed and hope to hear from you all!<br>Next we'll have a taste of school life for the next SIH generation.  
><strong>

**Love, **

**TBF101**

**P.s. **

**I am now on our sister site Fictionpress, publishing my own yaoi stories. Including a neko story inspired by Don't Preach's "Neko Hiro." You can find me under this same pen name "TheBlackFlamingo101."  
><strong>

**Hope to see you there as well! Kisses! **


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter Fifty-Three: School Days**

(Five years later)

"All right class, it's time for show and tell," Maruyama- Sensei said to her first-grade class. The teacher smiled as she saw the student's faces light up and they eagerly reached into their desks to pull out their own special treasures. It was always the highlight of their Friday afternoons.

"Who wants to go first?" She asked, but she wasn't surprised in the least when a familiar voice piped up rather loudly.

"I wanna go! I wanna go!" Onodera Masako said, squirming in her desk excitedly.

"No fair!" Another student piped up. "You always go first."

"Because I always have the best stuff," She snorted.

"Onodera-chan! It's not nice to boast." Maruyama scolded. "And if you keep up that attitude you're going to be joining your sister in the principal's office."

Masako reluctantly slunk down in her chair, knowing the threat was not idle. Show and tell began and Masako watched silently, if impatiently, until it was her turn to go. And when the sensei called her name, she practically bounded up to the front, holding a picture frame.

"My Papa gave this to me to take today," Masako said proudly. "It a picture he got from Takai Yui-sensei! She wrote my favorite manga series _Pink Magical Girl_!"

"Whoa!" A student exclaimed. "Can I see?!"

Soon hands were up all around the room wanting to see Masako's treasure, and it took Maruyama sensei several moments to calm them down.

"Everyone will be able to see it after class. But right now we have one more person who needs to present. Araki-chan, are you ready to go?"

Maruyama sensei couldn't help but smiled as she looked over at Atsushi, who was shying away from going up in front of the class. But after a few seconds, he took Masako's place besides the teacher's desk and reluctantly gave her several photographs. Maruyama was surprised, considering the majority of Atsushi's show and tell presentations were drawings that he had done. But as she glanced at the pictures, she smiled.

"Well class," she said. "It looks like Araki-chan has a new puppy. Can you tell us about it?"

Atsushi looked down at his shoes and quietly spoke.

"Her name is Kounotori, but we call her Kou-chan. She's a golden retriever. My godmom Ren-chan got her for me since our old dog Steve went to go live on a farm in the country."

Familiar with the euphemism "going to live on a farm in the country," Maruyama sensei kept a straight face and allowed the pictures to be distributed for the class to see. Needless to say the other students were quite jealous of the curly, golden puppy, especially Masako.

"I wish we had a puppy," she piped up to Atsushi. "But we have a kitty instead. Papa says Daddy is afraid of dogs but he told us not to say anything."

Atsushi stared blankly at her before taking his photographs back from the teacher and going back to his desk. Just then the bell rang and the children began pack up to go home. Maruyama-sensei went to stand by the door and wait for her student's parents, and when she saw one coming down the hall, she knew exactly who it was.

"Maruyama-sensei," Araki Hisashi said as he approached. Maruyama resisted the urge to shake her head in amazement. Atsushi looked so much like his father it was unmistakable. Few people had curls like that.

"Araki-san, hello," she bowed back, before turning inside the room. "Atsushi-chan, your father is here."

Atsushi nodded mutely and grabbed his backpack, racing over till he was next to his dad and clinging to the end of Hisashi's sweater. Hisashi looked down and gently ran his fingers through his son's golden blond curls.

"Did you have a good day Shi-chan?"

Atsushi nodded again, hugging his dad's leg. Hisashi's brow furrowed in thought.

"Did anything happen today I should know about?" He said with concern.

"Oh there was an incident between one of our students and one from another class," Maruyama answered quietly. Hisashi instantly paled.

"It wasn't over—"

"Oh no! No. Not that." She replied, waving her hand. "They just got in a bit of a spat over the swings is all. No, everyone in Atsushi-chan's class has been just wonderful."

"That's a relief to hear. Well Atsushi, you ready to go see Papa and Ren-chan at work?"

The little blond replied quietly and reached his arms out so his dad could pick him up, however Hisashi breathed a sigh of exertion as he did so.

"You're getting too big for this," he smiled, rubbing his son's back as he walked down the hall and out of the school. Maruyama sighed peacefully as she watched them go. Atsushi's fathers were such nice men—not to mention good looking, and she was happy to have their son in her class. In fact she was happy to be at Hanakata Elementary period. Since the flu epidemic had first taken hold five years ago, it was hard to say how the children of such couples would be received by society. It was a mixed bowl of responses, but luckily there were a few shinning havens for them. Hanakata Elementary was a good school, but Maruyama thought its true beauty was the acceptance of the flu children and their parents' orientation. Very few schools were as kind, and Maruyama worried about what would happen to those poor children as they continued to grow, and whether they would keep finding that acceptance. But mostly, it was out of her hands, so she resigned to do her part of treating all the children equally and instilling in them kindness and empathy for others.

"But Kamijou-chan started it!"

Even if some of her students were bent on sticking to their stubborn ways.

Maruyama looked down the opposite direction of the hallway and saw Onodera Ritsuka heading towards the classroom with her father, who didn't look pleased.

"I don't care who started it, Ritsuka," Onodera chided. "Fighting is never acceptable no matter the circumstance. We're going to talk about this when we get home tonight.

"Hello sensei," Ritsu said as they came to the classroom door. He gave her a short bow. "Please forgive Ritsuka for disturbing your class today. I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you."

"Ah, children will be children sometimes, Onodera-san, whether we want them to or not," Maruyama replied humbly as Masako came bounding to the door.

"Daddy! Daddy!" She chirped. "I had the best thing for show and tell today out of everyone! Well, except for Araki-chan's puppy—but lots of them liked my picture too!"

"That's nice Ko-chan," Ritsu said as Masako bounced about. But the peace was short lived when Ritsuka demanded that she get to hold the picture now since Masako got to present it, thus leading to a sister squabble. Ritsu interceded quickly and took the picture from them both.

"No one gets to hold the picture if you two are going to fight about it," he said sternly. At this prospect, the girls quieted down a bit, but shot each other pouty glares when they thought their father wasn't looking.

"Thank you again Sensei," Ritsu said, bowing to Maruyama. "We will see you on Monday. Come on girls."

Ritsuka and Masako each took one of their father's hands and followed him out of the school and over to Takano's car. And the girls were happily surprised to see their other father in the driver's seat.

"Papa!" They squealed as he got out of the car. Both of them rushed forward and nearly knocked Takano off his feet as they grabbed him.

"Did you bring us more books Papa?! Did you?!" Masako chimed. Takano smiled down at his twins and nodded.

"Yep, we can read them tonight at bedtime. Now into the car girls, Papa and Daddy have to get back to the grindstone."

The two girls exchanged quizzical glance over the word 'grindstone' before climbing into the back of the car and into their seats. Ritsu got in the passenger's side and when the car started moving, he turned to look back at Ritsuka.

"Tsu-chan, is there something you want to tell your father about what happened today?"

"No."

"Tell me what?" Takano asked.

"Ritsuka got into a fight again," Ritsu informed him. "With the same student."

"Really…who won?"

"I did," Ritsuka chimed. "Even though she's bigger than me."

"Masamune!" Ritsu exclaimed. "How can you even ask such a question?! Fighting is not something we want to encourage."

"Oh come on Mommy, we fight at our jobs on a daily basis. How can you say a little competition isn't healthy?"

"Competition and fighting are completely _different _things!" Ritsu retorted. "And what have I told you about calling me 'Mommy?'"

"You didn't seem to mind it last night….just like I didn't mind being called 'Sempai.'"

"MASAMUNE!" Ritsu yelled, blushing furiously. "Not in front of the children!"

But Takano only smiled as he kept driving, enjoying the star-studded daily chaos of his family as he drove them back to Marukawa.

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><p><strong>Here's a treat for all you wonderful reviewers :) a freaking fast update! I swear this chapter wrote itself...<br>**

**Ricchan14, hiyokocchi, nekocandy4life, Just a Fan, loopyhutton, Annalisse Rubisher, Vincent Claudius, SaySaeri, sora yagami 4869, TheRavenousRaven, gothpandaotaku, puppyfacetwo, meggels, Master Null, sunset siren curse, starrynight1987, Shidou, Pyqa fangirl, Kiyame Hikari-chan, and my wonderful muse Cerberus** **- THANK YOU for all your wonderful reviews! You guys are so awesome ^_^ and a special thank you to those who subscribed to my FictionPress account as well (see previous chapter for details). **

**We will continue our trip to Marukawa and see how much our parents have changed (or not changed) next. Stay tuned! **

**Love, **

**TBF101**

**AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME TO 700 REVIEWS! WAAAAH! **


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty-Four: Work Days**

As soon as the Onodera-Takano family made it inside Marukawa, the two girls immediately grabbed Masamune's coat and started bouncing.

"Papa can we go play with Atsushi-chan?!" Masako pleaded. "Pleaase?!"

"Yeah!" Ritsuka chimed in. "I wanna see the pictures of his puppy!"

"I don't see why not." Takano replied, handing both of the girls bags that contained their afternoon snacks. However, Ritsu frowned at the idea.

"Masamune, don't you think Ritsuka should be in time out for her actions today?"

"I'm sure she had plenty of time to think about it in the principal's office," Takano replied with a smile. "Besides we're going to be here well past dinner time and it's really not fair to give them nothing to do."

"I suppose," Ritsu said, though a disapproving look still graced his features. Sometimes he wondered if they were being too lax on their girls, but at the moment, they were far too busy with their deadlines to deal with it now.

Ritsuka and Masako looked expectantly at their Daddy, who finally sighed in defeat.

"All right, all right," Ritsu said. "But I want you on your best behavior for Rurouri-sensei, okay?"

The girls cheered in unison and began to race towards the elevator with Ritsu on their heels.

"I'll come down to Emerald once I'm finished with Yamada-sensei's manuscript." He called to Takano. His partner nodded in agreement and headed down an opposite hallway to drop off some papers.

"Girls, girls, settle down." Ritsu chided to the twins as they bounded into the elevator, their matching pigtails flying. As the elevator ascended, Ritsu looked down at his girls and shook his head at how much they were beginning to resemble Takano and him. Both of them had Ritsu's green eyes, but there was a sly glint in them that undoubtedly was from Masamune. Even as they grew older, their hair had begun to darken from brown to almost a dark chocolate color, though Ritsuka's still retained Ritsu's reddish tint. All in all, Ritsu couldn't believe how the years had flown by, and how much all of their lives had changed, especially within the parameters of his own career.

About two years prior, Ritsu had begun pursuit of his goal in Emerald: to dethrone Takano as head editor. In their personal lives, Masamune hadn't minded in the least, and in fact, challenged Ritsu to do it, but he wasn't expecting such a battle. Soon a race to impress the higher ups was under way, and for both parties, it was a big ordeal. Takano had to pull every trick and technique he knew just to keep up with Ritsu, who had gained such a name for himself that authors he didn't even know were asking for his advice. In the end, there could be only one head of the department, and Isaka chose to keep Takano at his post.

But it was not the end for Ritsu. As luck would have it, a well-known editor in the literature department had just quit and the department was a floundering mess trying to fill the gap she left. Isaka had transferred Ritsu to this department and challenged him to set things right, and that chance was all Ritsu needed. In the two years he had been there, he had completely turned that department around, and was now the editor to some very famous authors.

Once the elevator stopped, Ritsu took both of his girls' hands and lead them down several hallways before finally stopping at a workroom. He knocked several times before opening the door.

"Pardon the intrusion, Rurouri-sensei," he said with a bow. The older woman and her two assistants looked up from their work, and the sensei's face was bright when she saw the three of them.

"Onodera-san, what a surprise," Renaka said, even though they did this on such a regular basis one could hardly call it spontaneous.

"I hope you don't mind," Ritsu said. "But Ritsuka-chan and Masako-chan were wondering if they could play with Atsushi-chan for a while."

"But of course," Renaka replied, gesturing to the opposite corner of the workroom where a blanket was spread on the floor. Atsushi was sitting on it, surrounded by toys and coloring books. The curly-haired boy was vigorously working on a page when Ritsuka came up next to him.

"That's pretty Atsushi-chan!" The little girl exclaimed at the drawing. "Daddy, look!"

Onodera peered over briefly and smiled at the picture of a cartoony dragon breathing fire.

"That's very nice Atsushi-chan."

"My Papa drew it for me," the boy replied, staring shyly down at the floor. As Ritsuka and Masako also took up coloring books and began to work quietly, Onodera looked back over to Renaka's two assistants and bowed again.

"I have to thank you for being so generous Araki-san, Yanase-san. It's a big help to Takano-san and I to have someone our girls can play with."

"It's no trouble at all, Onodera-san. We're happy to have your girls play with Atsushi." Yuu replied. "And next month you'll have to start calling me Araki-san as well. I'm having my name formally changed."

At the mention of that, Hisashi also looked up from his work and smiled quietly. And since Onodera was far too polite to ask why such a change was taking place, Yuu enlightened him.

"Hisashi and I are getting married in New York next month," Yuu smiled, placing his hand on top of his partner's.

"Congratulations," Onodera said. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to get to my department. I'll be back for the girls in a couple of hours if that's all right."

"That's fine Onodera-san," Renaka replied. "Good luck with your work."

"Thank you. Be good girls." Ritsu said as he headed out the door, but the twins were already too immersed in their coloring to notice.

After he had gone, Renaka stood up and stretched her arms, gathering several folders off of her desk.

"Well I'd better get to my own meeting. Do you think you can finish those pages by the time I get back?"

"It shouldn't be a problem," Yuu replied. Renaka then went over to Atsushi's play corner and kissed her godson on the top of his head.

"I'll see you later Shi-chan," she said fondly before leaving, giving her two assistants a wave as she went.

Five years ago, no one could imagine an author harboring children in her workroom. Business was business after all, and personal lives were to be kept strictly separate from the workplace. But that had all changed when Rurouri Renaka had insisted they bend the rules for her beloved godson, claiming that his tiny presence did tremendous miracles for her creative spirit. And when she started churning out best sellers to prove it, the higher ups finally agreed. It had sparked a trend in the company and now the occasional child could be seen with their parents, always in a controlled setting of course. Had Ritsuka and Masako not behaved themselves inside Marukawa walls, their fathers would have no choice but to put them in daycare, but luckily for them Atsushi was the perfect playmate, though the girls thought him to be far too quiet on occasion.

Once he had carefully colored his picture, Atsushi scrambled up and took it over to Yuu's table. The five-year-old stood on his tip toes trying to see what his father was drawing, his big blue eyes barely reaching over the top of the table. Trying to contain his smile, Yuu took the storyboard page he was working on and showed it to his son, who looked at it thoughtfully before handing his dragon picture back to his father.

"Wow, that's very good Shi-chan," Yuu said, looking interestedly at the remarkably neat coloring job. The tinniest hint of a smile came onto Atsushi's face at his father's praise.

"Papa," he said quietly. "Can you draw me another?"

Yuu reached down and ruffled his son's curly head.

"Maybe later Shi. I know, why don't you watch some anime?"

Atsushi nodded enthusiastically and Yuu briefly stood to set up the small portable DVD player plugged into the wall. After situating his son in front of it, Yuu headed back to his table, all the while shaking his head as the theme song for _Dragonball Z _came on.

"What's that look for?" Hisashi asked as his partner sat back down. Yuu grinned.

"Oh nothing. Just the thought that my son is going to grow up to be as big of an otaku as his daddy."

"What a load of crap," Hisashi replied. "You like watching it as much as he does. Your favorite character is Piccolo."

Yuu chose to ignore that last comment—though it was entirely true, and directed Hisashi's attention to Atsushi's drawing.

"Look at this," Yuu said in awe. "He's already five years old and already he's coloring like this. It's like we bred a little Michelangelo."

Hisashi chuckled, then suddenly remembered something.

"Oh yeah Yuu, Yoshino-san called earlier. He wanted to know if we could schedule another play date with Chiyuki-chan."

"Sounds great," Yuu replied. "Atsushi had a lot of fun with her last time. You know, as long as I've known Chiaki and Hatori, I've never seen them so happy. They've really worked out their issues these past couple years."

"Glad to hear it," Hisashi said, going back to his work. He paused however as he felt Yuu's breath at his ear.

"Next month can't come fast enough," Yuu murmured, wrapping an arm around Hisashi's shoulders and kissing his neck. "Marriage in New York…our honey moon in British Columbia."

"And the family vacation to Germany next Christmas." Hisashi added. "Have you given Yuko-san her plane ticket yet?"

"It's on my to-do list." Yuu sighed. "Though I still don't see how she managed to weasel her way into this trip."

"It's good for Atsushi to be connected to your side of the family too. He sees enough of my parents every day what with them living next door to us."

"I suppose." Yuu said with a smile as he rested his hand on top of Hisashi's. "But soon your family will really be mine too. Araki Yuu has a nice ring to it."

Hisashi's lips curled and he intertwined his fingers with Yuu's as the brunet whispered words of love into his ear. The blond's eyes then drifted over to his son and his smile grew. Even though the path to get to this point had been riddled with agony, fear, and heartbreak, Hisashi knew, without a doubt….it had been worth it.

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><p><strong>Hello FF! Sorry I've been pretty quiet these past couple weeks. School and work are really kicking my ass but your patience and reviews mean the world to me. I'm both sad and happy to say that the next chapter will be the last<strong>**. Once again I just want to thank everyone who was a part of this almost two year journey. To have a spin off generate this much attention has really encouraged me and I'm proud to announce that the journey is not quite over yet. **

**I am officially announcing my intention to take on the SIH couple Yukina and Kisa and write their Uke flu story as well. You can read a precursor in Cerberus Revised's original flu story in the chapters 39-45 at the egoists' semuke dinner party. **

**If you want to read more of Yuu and Hisashi, my story "Forever" (sequel to "Always") is also still going as well. **

**That being said, time for shout outs!**

**sora yagami 4869, nekocandy4life, hiyokocchi, Vincent Claudius, Morally Evil, Ricchan 14, Alana-kittychan, Miyuki Meiru, Annalisse Rubisher, Mrs. Ciel Phantomhive, puppyfacetwo, gothpandaotaku, Kiyame Hikari-chan, loopy hutton, sunset siren curse, happysunshine, windying, Master Null, starrynight1987, Riverspirit 86, The Random Fujoshi, Shidou, Alexandria, and my darling Cerberus Revised- thank you all for you awesome reviews! It took me ten minutes just to write out all your usernames and I'm glad to do it because you guys rock! **

**THANK YOU ONE AND ALL! LAST CHAPTER TO COME SOON! **

**Humbly, **

**TBF101**


	56. Chapter 56

**My dear readers, **

**I apologize that this finale has taken so long. I hope you enjoy :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-five: Goodnight<strong>

The Onodera-Takano family arrived home late that night, and both of the girls were yawning as they took they shoes off and set their backpacks down. Their two dads were also looking weary, though they knew they had more work to do before bed.

Despite this, Ritsu had a slight smile on his face as he took off his coat. Today's events at work had been quite unexpected, and he was still reeling from it all.

The family, in an effort to relax from the busy day, had eaten dinner at a local diner. When they had first started going they had usually gotten take-out, as to avoid the unscrupulous stares at their lifestyle, but as the owner and employees had gotten to know the two men and their daughters, they had fully accepted them into the fold, and always welcomed them warmly. Though they couldn't stop the stares of other patrons, tonight had been an unexpected pleasure when a newlywed couple came over to their table and gushed about how simply adorable their daughters were. It seemed a small token to some, but to Masamune and Ritsu, it had made them immeasurably happy. The times were indeed changing.

Seeing that the twins were probably too tired for a bath, Masamune yawned and kneeled down in front of them, helping them pull off their coats and hats.

"Rit-chan, Masa-chan, why don't you go change into your pajamas? It's just about your bedtime."

Too wiped to protest, the girls nodded and headed towards their room, but not before making one last request.

"Papa," Masako said quietly. "Will you read us a story?"

Masamune smiled. "Of course. Go get ready and I'll be there in a moment."

As soon as the girls had gone, Masamune's smile left his face and he flopped down onto the living room couch, nearly crushing an orange tabby cat in the process.

"Sorry Tama-chan," he mumbled as the cat gave him an accusatory glare. "Hell, I am so beat."

"Do you want any tea?" Ritsu said, standing behind the couch and gently running his fingers through his lover's hair.

"Nah. I'm going to get those proofs done and hit the sack."

Ritsu nodded with a slight smile. "By the way, how long did you know about today?"

Masamune turned slightly sheepish. "An editor named Aikawa told me three days ago."

Ritsu gave his partner's dark head a playful shove and crossed his arms. "You know I don't like surprises, Masamune."

Takano smiled. "Well it worked, didn't it? You nearly cried."

"I did not," Ritsu muttered, though they both knew it was a lie.

Today after dropping the twins off at Rurouri-sensei's, Ritsu had headed up to the literature department and when he had stepped out of the elevator, he was greeted with a bellowing "Surprise!"

The entire department was covered in balloons, streamers and other decorations. It hadn't been like this that morning and Ritsu's jaw had dropped. His bewilderment heightened when Takano unexpectedly snuck up behind him and pulled him into a light kiss in front of everyone.

"What—what's all this?" he had said.

Isaka, who was also present, stepped forward and handed Ritsu a shiny wooden plaque, that was engraved with the words "Marukawa Shoten's Editor of the Year Award: Onodera Ritsu."

"Congratulations," Isaka smiled. "You've proven to this whole company that your talent is not based on genetics, but by your own merit."

Applause had erupted after that and a few hours were set aside for an office party, which the editors of Emerald also joined. Ritsu's eyes were blurry as he held the plaque in his hand, the other intertwined with Masamune's.

Even now as the plaque sat carefully wrapped in his bag, Ritsu felt his heart churn with emotion. Not with confusion or anger, but unfathomable happiness.

"I think we ought to hang that plaque near the door," Masamune spoke. "So you can see it every time you go to work."

Ritsu laughed under his breath, which brought an even bigger smile to Masamune's lips.

"I also can't wait to tell your parents next time we visit them," Masamune added.

Ritsu hummed thoughtfully, his heart grateful that with his father's support his mother had indeed come around, and loved her granddaughters every bit as much as their parents did.

Masamune turned his head and gave Ritsu a wink. "You know Ritsu, we could finish those proofs tomorrow."

"What? Is the head editor of Emerald becoming a slacker now?" Ritsu teased.

"Hardly," Masamune said. "There are just bigger priorities right now, like getting you out of those clothes."

Rather than scoff, Ritsu merely smiled and wrapped his arms around his partner's neck, inhaling the musky scent he knew so well now.

"Come here," Masamune whispered, leaning into the touch. Ritsu walked around the couch and sat down next to him, and their mouths joined as they shared a tender kiss. They held each other for several, quiet minutes, reveling in the warmth and love they shared.

"Papa, daddy," a drowsy Ritsuka called. "Are you coming?"

"Yes, dear," Ritsu replied. They released each other after one more kiss and gathered some of their girls' books off the coffee table, including one the twins knew very well.

They went into their daughters' room and sat down on the floor near the edge of Masako's bed. Masamune took out the first book and began to read in a quiet, but soothing voice.

"Once upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand. All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together…but not Ferdinand. He liked to sit just quietly, and smell the flowers…"

They hadn't even gotten to the end before their beautiful girls were fast asleep, and as they tucked them in for the night, both of the men planted kisses on their small foreheads and left the room.

A few minutes later found the two weary fathers in their own bed, tucked in each other's arms. Although their spirits were willing, their bodies were far too tired for anything but cuddling tonight, but as long as they were together, it didn't matter in the least.

"Goodnight Ritsu," Masamune whispered as sleep began to take him. "I love you."

"Goodnight," Ritsu replied, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "I love you too."

**The End.**

**"_Before you go to sleep, take my hand…Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."—John Lennon_**

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><p><strong>I simply cannot describe what a journey this fic has been for me, and I am so grateful to all of you for your continued support. I hope that in addition to my new stories, I will be able to finish some of the old ones as well, especially "Digamma." <strong>

**I hope that despite how much time has passed that I will hear from you all, for each and every one of you has been an important part of this. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Cerberus, for his idea, his support, and the constant inspiration he has given and will continue to give me. **

**So dear readers, I am both happy and sad to say Goodnight to you all. It has truly been a pleasure. **

**With love and gratitude,**

**The Black Flamingo 101**


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